


Borderline Feverous

by sonus



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Bg yumark, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Murder Mystery, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, it gets darker in later chapters, police officers renhyuck, the romance is extra slow burn don't kill me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:20:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24252718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonus/pseuds/sonus
Summary: As a police officer Renjun has dealt with many crimes over the years. It's part of his life and he has accepted it a long time ago.This, however, he can't simply accept.There are crimes that change your life forever and Renjun isn't sure if he is ready for that change yet.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan
Comments: 31
Kudos: 113





	1. Act I: Aconite

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~
> 
> welcome in yet another slightly disturbing work haha... well, its not that bad in the first chapter but still.
> 
> i feel like i say it each time but, please, check the tags and keep in mind that it WILL get worse in the second chapter. there's still not gonna be anything graphic but sometimes psychological stuff like trauma can be as bad so...yeah
> 
> anyway, the only trigger warning i can think of for this chapter is mentions of blood but i think that's kind of expected from a fic about murders.
> 
> thank you to my heroes 9900line gc, honestly guys i love you so much<3 thank you val for inspiring me to pick this wip up again.
> 
> also thanks to berry who has sprinted with me basically the whole time i was working on this hehe~ my own partner in crime :D

Nothing ever happens in small towns. Or more like, nothing is _supposed_ to happen in a small town like theirs.

“Had Mark collected the evidence?” Renjun looks up from his notes to look at his partner.

There’s a scowl on Donghyuck’s face as he slowly turns to him as if the question has snapped him from some kind of a trance.

“He did. Jaemin is busy taking photos now.”

Renjun nods, his face portraying no emotions whatsoever. It's hard to keep a straight face when faced with a dead body, the person laying just in the other room to their right clearly murdered.

It takes no genius to guess that what they are dealing with here is not going to be a simple job. 

"Deep slashes all over the victim indicate rage," Mark flips through his notebook and frowns at something that's written in there like it's not his own notes he is looking at. "A crime of passion maybe?"

The older's voice is unsure, unconvinced and Renjun knows that no one in the small apartment is convinced that's what has happened.

"The deep wounds can indicate..." Hendery trails off with an unreadable expression. To Renjun, it looks like the older might get sick any second now.

"That we have one sick bastard on our hands," Donghyuck finishes for him and Hendery gives his a doubtful look like his words aren't _quite_ what he had in mind. Renjun can imagine.

Donghyuck can be a little bit blunt and a little bit too honest for his own good sometimes. Which, usually is quite a challenge but here it's excused. The younger's bright mind makes up for it, at least in their's boss opinion.

"The body is almost unrecognizable," Mark continues as if he hasn't been interrupted at all, and Renjun gives him a small nod of encouragement, desperate to get this conversation done with. Donghyuck is fun to deal with but right now they have more pressing matters at hand.

"What has Jaemin suggested?" Donghyuck asks, his sharp and focused tone back in place like his last comments was nothing more than a mere joke. "Or maybe we should leave that to Jeno."

"Jaemin says that he will check with the missing cases but it can take a while," Yangyang cuts in and both Mark and Donghyuck nod at him, acknowledging his words.

"Jeno says it would take him days. Our best shot is Jaemin," Renjun adds. He has talked with their pathologist on their way there, while Donghyuck has blasted some rock songs on their's shared car radio while singing and telling him a fascinating tale of his missing t-shirts. He thinks that Mark is taking them, that much Renjun remembers. At least his singing voice is good. "How high is the possibility that it's one of our recent missing cases?"

The whole room falls silent suddenly, the only noise an occasional click of Jaemin's camera in the next room.

Renjun can pretty easily guess the images that pop up in everyone's minds now. Because the same ones cloud his own vision as he relives all the worried families that had turned up at the station to report their family members for the past two months.

Up until now all they could do besides searching the area as best as they could be a worried expression from Mark and a frown on Donghyuck's face.

Now, something much more sinister is more than just a possibility.

"Pretty high," Donghyuck confirms. If anyone can tell as much from spending a few minutes in the room with the body it’s him. No one as much as blinks even though they all expected the words. "Most of our missing cases are young people. We will need someone to deliver the news to the family."

Ah yes, delivering the terrible news. The worst job possible.

Renjun raises his eyes just to see everyone in the room turned to him. Donghyuck's stare is almost unbearable and Renjun chooses to look out of the window to the clear, bright sky instead.

"I hate you all."

The truth is this: no one is prepared for what's coming. He sees it in the way they all tense up as soon as Jaemin opens the door to let them in to do their thing.

Of course, they know the theory, all the nasty details of big serial killer cases but this is different. This is real life.

"We _will_ solve this," Donghyuck whispers next to Renjun's ear as he passes the older in the doorframe.

Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. But what will be the cost.

🥀🥀🥀

What no one has told Renjun when he told his parents, all starry eyes, that he wants to be a police officer or when he finally got into the academy, was how hard and heartbreaking it would be to carry the bad news to the families.

Someone going to jail for life, someone being convicted of murder or, the worst-case scenario, someone turning up dead. You name it. It's all terrible and it never gets easier.

"Mrs. Kim?" Renjun starts after taking one last deep breath. He tries to make his voice sound as calm and collected as possible.

"We are sorry to inform you about this," Donghyuck continues when the woman before them doesn't answer, her face losing more and more color as the younger of the officers speaks. "But we have found your son. He is--"

Renjun wonders why did Donghyuck tag along. The younger avoids this job like plague just like Renjun but in his case, he never got sent out to do it. It probably has something to do with how blunt the younger can be.

So the fact that Donghyuck slides on the seat next to Renjun when he is about to visit this poor family with a poor excuse of 'we are _partners_ Injun,' makes Renjun raise his eyebrows but he doesn’t comment.

"Oh god," the woman before them takes in a sharp breath and Renjun tries his best to not visibility flinch. "No, no, _don't say it_."

The last words are spoken in barely a whisper and Renjun casts his eyes down. He can't take it for a moment, can't look this mother in the eyes.

He has checked the victim's folder before coming here. 18 years old, vanished from swimming practice.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Donghyuck's words are soft and quiet and they make Renjun snaps his gaze up to look at his partner.

Donghyuck looks serious for once. It's one of those rare moments in which Renjun sees the real cop in him. Not just a mischievous kid who likes to solve mind puzzles.

"What happened to him?" The mother asks but her tone suggests that she at least suspects that the truth is something much more sinister than she can take.

Renjun looks turns to Donghyuck again, the younger's eyes already on him. They stare at each other for a minute, the silence filling the room enough to make Donghyuck hide the folder he is gripping tightly behind his back.

There's no point in showing the photos.

"We are looking for suspects," Renjun says and the woman before them deflects a little. Her shoulders tremble in a silent cry.

Both Donghyuck and Renjun stay glued to their places.

"Is there something I can help with?" She asks finally.

🥀🥀🥀

"The mother doesn't know a thing," Donghyuck concludes as he strides through empty corridors back at the station. Renjun trails after him but there's no bounce in his step.

The conversation has drained him completely. It didn't bring anything new to light, no promising leads.

"Yeah, it definitely wasn't her doing," he agrees and waves at Jaemin through the glass door of the younger's room. "But we already knew that."

"Do you think this will be something bigger?" Donghyuck asks and throws him a look over his shoulder.

"Are you asking if I think that all of the people who went missing will turn up dead?"

Silence.

Renjun sighs.

"We aren't ready for this kind of case," he murmurs truthfully. Donghyuck can be a great detective, amazing even but in their small town, there was never anything like this.

"We had one murder before," Donghyuck says in a weak voice and then laughs at his own words.

"Donghyuck, we got a confession after two days with that one."

Donghyuck laughs again.

"I'm not saying we are great," Renjun snorts at that and Donghyuck slows down so that they are walking together now. "Or ready. Or anything, really. But it doesn't matter, does it? He have to solve this before more people lose their lives."

That, they both can agree on. There's pretty much no time to spare.

Renjun can already feel the incoming headache as he opens the door to Donghyuck's office.

It's pretty much the room that most of their brainstorming happens in. It's the largest in the whole station and Donghyuck is the one that spends much time at work so from them stopping by all the time it just turned into their base.

Mark, Jeno, and Yangyang are already waiting for them.

"Report," Donghyuck says as he passes them all just to throw himself on the overused sofa next to Mark who flinches and moves away from his roommate.

"Please, go away we spend too much time together as it is," Mark mumbles and Donghyuck turns to him with a pout. "Ew, Donghyuck."

Jeno ignores then both and turns to Renjun.

"It would be nice if you could stop _this_ for a second," Jeno smiles his eye smile and Renjun can't help thinking that Jeno is just too nice to the two idiots. At least Yangyang stays focused, glancing at them from the corner. "You can continue later but I just got a message from Chenle."

That picks up Donghyuck's and Mark's attention like nothing else could and they freeze imminently.

"He is still at the crime scene with Jisung, right?" Yangyang asks from his corner while Donghyuck attempts to untangle himself from Mark.

"Apparently. Hendery is still with them, too," Jeno pulls his phone out of the pocket and reads Chenle's message one more time, then frowns. "They found something. It's strange--"

Renjun and Donghyuck speak up at the same time.

"Did we miss something?" Renjun asks.

"This might be the lead we are looking for," Donghyuck proclaims.

Yangyang laughs.

"I don't know," says Jeno carefully. "It might not even be connected to the case at all."

Renjun feels the back of his neck tingle with anticipation. Whatever this is, he has a feeling it will dictate how they perceive the murder from now on. Jeno's expression tells him the younger isn't sure what it means. He might even look scared. But maybe they all are.

"Chenle said they found a flower in the top drawer next to the bed," Renjun tries to recall who has checked it but his mind can't place the face to the figure going through the drawers in his memory.

"What kind of flower?" Donghyuck asks.

Jeno glances at his phone one more time before returning his gaze to Donghyuck. 

"Aconite."

🥀🥀🥀

"Caution, misanthropy, and death," Donghyuck throws a file full of papers on Renjun's desk.

"Excuse me?" Renjun lifts his gaze from one of the crime scene photos. His eyesight must be damaged already because when he blinks he swears that the blood spatter he was looking at just a second ago appears on Donghyuck's t-shirt now.

Donghyuck huffs in annoyance.

"The flowers," he says and nods at the paper that escapes the file and almost flies to the floor. Renjun catches it last minute.

It's a photo of a flower. Renjun isn't sure if he has seen it before. It doesn't look like one of the kind that you would give to someone on a date or to your parents on their birthday. It looks ordinary enough.

"The killer left a body with flowers that literally mean 'death'? Smart move," Renjun turns his eyes to the rest of the papers that Donghyuck gave him. "What else it there?"

"Information about the flat, the autopsy, more photos," he lists but his gaze never wavers from the first picture.

"You think that's our biggest lead, don't you?" Renjun searches for his partner's gaze and when it doesn't work he claps loudly which earns his not only Donghyuck's attention but also Mark's and Jeno's.

"You don't?" Donghyuck tilts his head, surprised.

Renjun gestures to the flower.

"Maybe. But unless it has fingerprints or DNA on it I fail to see how it can lead us to the killer."

"20 bucks if I manage to name a suspect by the end of the day," Donghyuck says, a grin creeping onto his lips.

"A dinner," Renjun counters, feeling his stomach twist painfully at the mere thought of food.

Donghyuck raises his eyebrows but laughs lightly and Renjun knows he has won.

"Deal, but I choose the place."

Now it's Renjun's turn to raise his eyebrows.

🥀🥀🥀

"Mark Lee," Donghyuck slams his hands on Renjun's desk with a loud thud. Renjun jumps a little.

It's hard to see what kind of expression the younger is wearing in the weak light of his desk lamp. Between searching the crime scene photos and reading the autopsy reports the night has slowly overtaken the police station.

Renjun hasn't even noticed it until now.

Donghyuck looks ready to leave. He has his bag slumped over his shoulder and his hair is falling over his eyes, hiding dark bags under his eyes.

"What about me?" Comes from somewhere outside the room. Mark's words make Donghyuck snort.

"You are my first suspect!" He yells back and it takes just a minute for Mark's head to appear in the doorframe.

"What the fuck are you on about?" He asks, clearly annoyed.

"Renjun wanted me to name a suspect today and so, I name you," Donghyuck answers as if what he is saying makes perfect sense.

Which it doesn't but Renjun decides to play along anyway.

"Your reasoning?" He asks in a serious voice and Mark says a glance his way which probably is meant to convey 'what the hell are you saying' and also 'I hate you' at the same time.

"First of all, he was at the crime scene," Donghyuck starts, expression completely serious.

"I was _with you deepshits_ ," Mark says but they both ignore him completely.

"He has also the one who suggested checking the flower meaning," he continues and Renjun nods, faking being deep in wonder.

"Very well."

"I hate you both," Mark says with a sigh and just then Jeno stops by too.

"Are we arresting Mark then?" He asks and slaps Mark's shoulder with a laugh at the grimace that forms on the older's face.

"Not yet, I need more data," Donghyuck says, his eyes still on Renjun.

Renjun upholds the eye contact and raises one eyebrow. He wonders if he should give in, should humor Donghyuck again.

Deep down he knows he will, knows that no matter how ridiculous the younger maybe be Renjun will always play along.

"Did I earn that dinner or not?" He finally asks and Mark makes a strange noise from the door.

"Ah, so it was just one of their weird mating rituals," Jeno sounds almost disappointed and Renjun almost _chokes_.

Donghyuck doesn't even blink.

"The dinner Injun," he presses.

"Yeah, the dinner," he agrees weakly and it makes Donghyuck smirk and raise his hands in a gesture of victory.

' _Like you couldn't buy the dinner himself,_ ' Renjun think as he watch Donghyuck make a face at Jeno and Mark who are still standing at the door. He feels stupid and maybe a little bit guilty, playing their usual silly games when there's a mother mourning her son not so far away and a case to be solved but there's something that Donghyuck always says and it flashes in Renjun's mind now.

' _We work best when rested. There's a thin line between being tired and insane_.'

Besides, it's not like there's no one there to look at the clues while they are gone. Jisung and Chenle will still be there the whole night and the more eyes that early into the case, the better.

"We better get going," Donghyuck says softly and Renjun nods with a sigh and gets up to collect his things.

Mark and Jeno are still there when they get to the door, both with their bags in hands, ready to head home too.

"Have fun on your date," Jeno says and sends Renjun a wink. The older pretends to be disgusted and Donghyuck gives him a judging look.

It's hard to not go crazy working here sometimes.

"I'm assuming you're not coming back to our flat today since you think I'm a killer Donghyuck!" Yells Mark after them and Donghyuck snorts again.

If working here seems like out of body experience sometimes Renjun wonders how would living with Donghyuck feel like. 

Sometimes he wonders how Mark and Donghyuck still haven't killed each other. How they still call themselves best friends despite all the bickering.

"See you later Markie!" Donghyuck yells back, then grabs Renjun's hand and drags him into the dark.

🥀🥀🥀

"Did you find anything interesting today?" Donghyuck asks, eyes trailing Renjun's hands as the older picks up a fry and pops it into his mouth.

"Depends," he answers thoughtfully.

Donghyuck gives him a _look_.

"Well..." he searches his mind for all the conclusions his brain had come up with while reading through the papers. "I guess there are a few things."

Donghyuck nods at him to continue, finally turning his attention to the hamburger laying before him. Renjun shouldn't be surprised that they have ended up in the same cheap fast food bar they always go to when they need to take a break but somehow he is. The meal is on him, Donghyuck could have picked something more, well, fancy.

"First of all," Renjun thinks back to their time at the 'crime scene'. There was something bugging him even then but only now, after reading the papers has he realized what. "I don't think we have the real crime scene."

Donghyuck nods at him and gestures for Renjun to continue.

"It's way too clean. Or maybe not clean enough. It's impossible for the murder to accurate in that apartment without blood seeping out of every corner. It was brutal, the place should be a reck. It's also not perfect clean which means it hasn't been cleared with bleach."

"I agree, it can't be the place where the murder happened," Donghyuck's burger lays forgotten on his plate now, all his attention on Renjun. He leans closer and places his head on his joined palms. Donghyuck's eyes sparkle in the dim lights of the bar. "What else?"

Renjun pauses as his eyes meet Donghyuck's. They stare at each other for a moment before Renjun focuses back on their conversation.

The room around slowly comes back to focus and he grimaces when he realizes just how noisy the bar is around them, teenagers happily eating their late-night dinner.

"The flat. I talked on the phone with the owner. He isn't even in Korea right now."

"How did the killer get in there then?"

Renjun shrugs. He has been working on that lead the whole day while Donghyuck has focused on the flowers.

"There were no signs of forced entry. The owner said that it's only his family who has access to it. I'm planning to call them tomorrow, the line was busy today."

Donghyuck frowns at the news. It really looks like they are kept in the dark now. The killer has the upper hand and Renjun hates it. So does Donghyuck if the dark look in his eyes is something to go by.

It's frustrating, especially since Renjun can feel they are facing someone much more experienced than then.

That sparks an idea in his head and he turns sharply to reach inside his bag.

"We should contact other cities," he says as he searches for his notebook to add it to his to-do list for tomorrow. "Seoul maybe. We are no match for whoever this is which could mean we aren't the first ones that are gonna try."

"We can ask Yangyang and Hendery about it since they transformed from there."

Renjun nods and adds two points to his list. 'Talk to Hendery' and 'call Seoul.'

"It's been four months since the first unsolved disappearance," Donghyuck turns his attention to his meal once again, his head ducked at an angle that tells Renjun more than words. The younger is stressed, his fingers tracing shapes and letters on his knees.

Renjun almost reaches out to still him, the need to make Donghyuck feel better overwhelming. He catches himself last moment, his hand freezing mid-air between them.

Donghyuck doesn't like other people seeing that vulnerable side of him even if it's just Renjun who he has known for seven years now. He decides to let it go for now.

"How many since then?" Renjun asks. The numbers are one thing he hasn't checked. He is scared to face reality. "When did our victim vanish?"

"10 people," Donghyuck's voice is darker, quieter now. "Those are the only ones that we can't say for sure are runaways. Maybe, even more, not everyone reports their relatives when they disappear. He was the third one reported."

"What about the first two? Should we start searches?"

Now that there's possibility of a serial killer on their hands the faster they find more evidence the better.

"Let's exhaust all the leads we have right now. We don't have enough people and I would rather we focus on one thing fully."

Renjun can't argue with that. It makes sense and will probably spare them a few maybe fatal mistakes.

"For now," Renjun counters, an accusatory finger pointed at Donghyuck. He raises his other hand and gestures at Donghyuck's still half-full plate. "You dragged me here and made me pay. Eat."

Donghyuck whines for a moment but at the sign of Renjun's frown he shuts up and eyes his burger with a pitiful look.

"Do you want dessert?"

🥀🥀🥀

"No, I don't think this body was placed there two months ago. _Yes_ I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about."

Donghyuck stops next to Renjun's desk, his eyebrows already raised. The older can guess he has been listening to his conversation for more than just the last two minutes.

It's been a hard day and it's evident in both of their faces. Renjun feels how strained his shoulders are and he can see the way Donghyuck's whole body sags under the weight of all the responsibility.

" _No luck?_ " Donghyuck mouths at him and Renjun shakes his head with a sigh.

Truthfully, all his efforts feel useless that day. No matter where he turns he finds himself having to cross of yet another promising lead.

" _You?_ " he mouths back and now it's Donghyuck's time to shake his head.

The younger gestures to the corridor behind him and Renjun understands imminently what's going on.

There's only one person from their team occupying one of the rooms in the other wing of the station.

Jeno, their pathologist.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Kim but I'm afraid I have to go," he says and listens to another unhelpful monologue that makes him roll his eyes. He looks at his notes from the conversation. The tip of his pen touching the paper in a nervous rhythm.

There's nothing new he has learned. The owner's son hasn't checked the apartment in about two weeks because that's apparently how long the plants there can live without water.

Useless.

There's only one conclusion that seems somewhat helpful coming out of this whole fiasco. Now Renjun is sure the killer has to have another place, more personal probably, where he has been keeping the victim for at least a few months before ending his life.

"This makes no sense," he massages his temples when he finally manages to end the call. Mark throws him an understanding look from across the door as Renjun stands up to head to Jeno's room.

The scene that greets him there is quite odd.

Jeno is sitting on his chair, that's normal enough, but instead of his desk, his gaze is focused on Donghyuck who is laying on the sofa, his head hanging over one end, and reading some papers upside down.

"Do you have anything?" Renjun braces himself for yet another dead end so when Donghyuck looks at him with hope in his eyes for the first time that day he feels his insides turn.

"Maybe," Donghyuck sits up and gestures for him to sit down on the sofa too.

Renjun opts for the floor.

"Yesterday, I wrote on the report that I'm still working on his last meal. The body had no marks of torture. He wasn't even starved," Jeno's voice only further proves Renjun's point of this not being a normal thing. Even when you look at it keeping in mind that the person who did it is mentally unstable. "I managed to finally get the results back today. They are bizarre."

"Who captures a person only to feed them and basically live with them for the next few months only to kill them brutally later. Much less 10 people," Donghyuck raises the papers in the air like they are some kind of trophy. "This makes this even stranger."

"What was his last meal?" Renjun finally asks. Jeno's and Donghyuck's little mind games make him only more exhausted than he already is. He isn't about to go and name every single possible answer. They would be sitting there all day.

"That blue flower. What was it again?"

"Aconite," Donghyuck ads mechanically and Jeno nods, agreeing.

"Is that like, safe to eat?" Renjun quirks his eyebrows at the two of them.

"He hasn't died because of it, the stab wounds were what killed him."

"How is that a promising lead?"

"We have no murder weapon, no DNA, no fingerprints. The apartment is not the crime scene and the victim was last seen about three months ago," Donghyuck lists with a stoic face. There's a dark gleam in his eyes. "But that flower... The one we found at the crime scene was not bought at a flower shop. The cutting indicates that the killer cut it himself. Which also means he has to have access to the flower. It's not that common."

"A gardener?" Renjun asks suspiciously. It feels strange, almost too good to be true. "How comes he makes this kind of mistake. It's not like we have that many gardeners here."

Donghyuck shrugs.

"I'm not going to ask. I'm just glad," he turns to Jeno. "Report if you catch more strange things like flowers somewhere else."

Jeno nods with a grimace on his face.

Renjun can't help but be skeptical about it all. It feels too easy, almost like a bait that's meant to lead them in the wrong direction.

When he makes eye contact with Jeno a shiver runs down his spine and makes the hairs on his hands stand up.

This isn't the end, he can feel it.

🥀🥀🥀

Interviewing each and every gardener in the city sounds easy at first but five days and 70 people later both Renjun and Donghyuck want to die.

"I'm never buying flowers again," Renjun sighs as he crosses off the last name on their list.

"I'm throwing all of my cactuses out of the window," Donghyuck runs a hand through his hair and tugs at the ends, hard.

"Easy," Renjun whispers and reaches out to delicately guide Donghyuck's hand back to his lap.

"I can't believe all of them either don't live alone and don't own any spare estates or have alibis."

Renjun almost wants to say 'I knew it's going to end up like this' but the look of sheer devastation and resignation on Donghyuck's face keeps his mouth shut.

Just then, with less than appropriate space between them Donghyuck's phone rings.

It makes the younger jump and since they are that close Renjun goes flying back too, almost landing on his ass but his chair regains balance at the last second and the only damage is the fast speed of his heartbeat and adrenaline pulsing through his veins.

"It's Yangyang," Donghyuck frowns at his phone as if it had wronged him. Which, considering just how many frustrating phone calls he has made from it that day , it kind of did.

"Answer him stupid."

Donghyuck picks up the phone and listens for a few minutes in silence. The longer Yangyang talks without Donghyuck as much as nodding the more restless Renjun grows.

He taps his pen on the table and whatever news Donghyuck is getting it must be bad because the younger doesn't even blink at the annoying rhythm of the tapping.

"My God," Donghyuck breathes into the phone and his eyes finally meet Renjun's. "We will be there in five.

🥀🥀🥀

"What are you even doing here?" Renjun asks, voice heavy with sleep as he tries to move the hair out of his eyes so that he can take the sign of Donghyuck in its full glory. "It's the middle of the night."

"Hey," Donghyuck doesn't even bother with explaining and instead crawls into bed with Renjun.

The older huffs as they shift around trying to make themselves comfortable, the tangled mess of limbs both familiar and blissfully new. He doesn't mind this; Donghyuck getting into his apartment at ass o'clock with the keys that Renjun has given him.

Part of him suspects that he needs this just as much as Donghyuck. Feeling the steady beat of the other's heart is reassuring in its simplicity and he sighs, content.

"Don't think too hard about it," he mumbles in an attempt at easing Donghyuck's nerves.

Something moves just next to his ear and just before he registers what's happening there's a hand cautiously traveling down his arm just to rest around his wrist.

"Injun," Donghyuck starts slowly as if testing the waters. Renjun willes his eyes to stay open.

"Donghyuck," he whispers back softly.

"What are we going to do now?"

Renjun sighs. Part of him wishes Donghyuck came here just for him, just for the sake of being together but of course it's not like this.

Donghyuck puts his work above his private life most of the time.

"We are going to do the same thing we did with the first body. I'm guessing you already checked the flower meaning," Renjun recalls the plant that he has found at the crime scene. Once again, the circumstances are all too similar to what they already investigated and it makes this all the more frustrating.

"Basil means hatred. I read that it can be used to curse someone."

A chill runs down Renjun's spine and Donghyuck moves even closer to him, leaving no space between their bodies.

"Hatred, death. I know it's a fascinating topic but can we do what you came here to do?"

"Which is?" Donghyuck's breath tickles Renjun's neck and he fights hard not to flinch.

"Sleep," he answers and a soundless laugh escapes Donghyuck. Renjun can feel it resonate through the youngers body.

"If you say so," it's pretty clear that at this point Donghyuck doesn't have much fight left in him. They had spent half a day checking alibis and the other one investigating yet another crime scene.

Renjun closes his eyes and willies his brain to relax. It may or may not be the last peaceful night in his life.

🥀🥀🥀

It's hard to say at which point Renjun grows so used to the constant stress of finding more bodies and the investigation still standing still, the new bodies always being found in vacant buildings now, their leads dying down before they even get to examine them.

The only real lead is the flowers, all beautiful but with deadly meanings.

"I always thought flowers were supposed to represent happy things," Mark comments at the site of the third murder. There is a flower laying before him, the yellow of the tansy fierce, camera in his hand ready to shoot. "Love, friendship, gratitude, that sorta thing."

"No way there weren't some negative meanings but who needs so many?" Adds Jeno and Renjun gives them both a weak smile.

At the end of the day, flowers lead them nowhere.

"They give us valuable insight into the killer's mind," Jisung argues, pen and paper in mind.

"And what exactly do they tell us?" Renjun asks as he tries to peak over the top of Jisung's notes to read what the younger thinks.

"That the perpetrator is twisted," Chenle gives Renjun a happy nod.

Jisung turns to his best friend with a frown but there's no more to it.

"Basically, that's it," he agrees and it makes all of them go insane with worry.

So far there had been no more disappearances and deep down Renjun hopes that there won't be, at least until they uncover all of the bodies, so far they have six, and hopefully catch the sick bastard.

Soon enough Renjun learns that hope is for fools only.

🥀🥀🥀

The phone call that finally changes it all comes during breakfast the next day.

Donghyuck is moving around the kitchen, singing to himself something Renjun vaguely recognizes. All the requests for the younger to just 'sing louder for fucks sake, your voice is amazing' remain unanswered.

At first, Renjun wants to pick up just to yell at the caller for spoiling his lazy morning with Donghyuck.

As soon as he sees the caller's ID he snaps out of it. This isn't some American dream, and nor he nor Donghyuck are even American. No matter how much he wants it, they are both police officers first.

"Hey Chenle what's up?" He asks and his stomach drops almost to the floor at the moment of silence that follows his greeting.

Chenle is loud usually. Even in the current situation the younger has more to say than the rest of them, butting heads with Donghyuck and trading theories with Jisung.

Silence doesn't suit him and more than anything, it makes Renjun anxious.

"Hyung," the younger finally answers and there is some background noise. Renjun thinks he can hear Jisung but he can't be sure. "We have another body but…"

There's more background noise and Renjun waits impatiently for Chenle to come back and tell him what the hell exactly is happening.

His nervous tapping makes Donghyuck pause his cooking and appear in the doorframe with raised eyebrows.

Renjun nods at him to go back to the kitchen. Whatever is happening will have to wait until after breakfast.

"Jisung isn't hundred percent sure yet but it looks like this isn't one of our missing people."

Renjun hand stops mid-air. This is what he has feared most.

They had run out of time.

"We will be there in five," he tells Chenle before calling for Donghyuck.

🥀🥀🥀

"We can't get a hold of Jeno," is the first thing that Jisung greets them with when they finally arrive at the scene.

It took them more than the promised five minutes but despite everything Donghyuck still insisted they stop on their way and at least Renjun gets something too eat.

In the middle of this mess, the older misses the fact that the only food they buy at the supermarket is for him, and when he discovers that Donghyuck has nothing to eat he secretly puts half of his sandwich in Donghyuck's bag.

The younger is finishing it when Jisung opens the door for them.

"It's still early, I'm not that surprised. Try calling Jungwoo, he can do the autopsy."

"Jungwoo hyung isn't a detective thought," Jisung points out but Chenle, who appears behind him, is already dialing the number.

Donghyuck waves his hand and shuffles the plastic bag from the food back in his bag.

"He can run the results with Jeno later."

"Show us the body," Renjun demands. Chenle and Jisung exchange a glance before turning back to them with a strange look in their eyes.

"Okay, let's go."

The apartment is small around them, the pink painted walls of the corridors closing in on Renjun.

He shakes his head. That's not real.

Donghyuck shoots him a side glance and he knows that the younger can see past his carefully kept neutral expression.

"I wonder what kind of flower it will be this time."

" _That's_ what's on your mind?" Renjun asks his voice calm and level. Donghyuck's words are ridiculous but they do their job and he feels himself relax despite everything.

"Partly," their conversation cuts abruptly as they reach the living room.

It's pretty clean this murder is different right off the bat. Renjun is surprised to see blood on the couch and for a second he wonders if it's even their guy but then his eyes land on a lonely flower laying on the windowsill.

Its delicate white petals don't look familiar to him and he starts to make way to it to make sure it won't fall out of the wide-open window.

"We just finished taking photos," Chenle explains at Renjun's questioning gaze. "Besides, it has been lying there for some time already so, hey, what are the chances."

Renjun shrugs and starts towards the window again.

“No, no, _wait_ ,” Donghyuck’s eyes go wide as he stares down at the body laying down on the carpet.

Renjun turns to his partner, the sense of dread overcoming him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

“I know him,” Donghyuck says and this time his voice is small and when Renjun turns to him to inspect his features he realizes something is _very_ wrong. This is something more than just Donghyuck recognizing one of his neighbors.

Renjun is afraid to ask.

“Who is it?”

Donghyuck stares blankly at the lifeless body.

"It's Jeno's cousin, Doyoung."


	2. Act II: Asphodel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the terrible discovery that Renjun sees coming and another terrible event that he does not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow just in time for hyucks bday!!
> 
> Truth to be told, this chapter has been sitting in my drafts for a few days now but well its finally time.
> 
> Thank u to my 9900 squad like always. Special thanks to raina and berry who said they will eat me and hunt me down respectively for this chapter. Thanks guys<3
> 
> (Check the tags guys they are updated)

"Jeno," Renjun starts just to be imminently silenced with a flick of the younger's wrist.

"No, no, I'm fine, I'm coming with you," he insists in a weak voice and all Renjun can think is ' _oh you are absolutely not_ ' but he can't leave Jeno like this.

Not yet.

They have been sitting like this for about two hours now, Mark or Jaemin occasionally popping in to check if they are still breathing.

Renjun breathes out. Jeno sits still.

"Jeno," he tries again, the words that he should be saying stuck in his throat. They probably won't come out anytime soon anyway and so he simply gestures at the table between them.

Just after they got back and found Jeno already in his office eager to work Donghyuck has discreetly left the white flower from the crime scene here. Renjun hadn't seen him since.

"It's asphodel. It symbolizes death like most of them do."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jeno asks, eyes still stubbornly focused on the white flower. "I know Donghyuck won't let me go investigate with you."

"That's exactly why. I want you to know what's happening," Renjun stands up and casts a side glance to the glass door that separates them from the rest of the station.

Donghyuck's there, hands in his pocket, expression eager. Renjun can almost feel his energy buzzing through the glass.

"We will get him."

"Yeah," Jeno agrees weakly. "I just hope it's sooner than later. I don't know if the connection to us was intentional or—"

Yeah, Renjun doesn't know too.

"Let's find out then," Donghyuck gives them both a nod as he opens the door and waits until Renjun joins him, air around them tense.

"See you later Jeno," Renjun gives his friend one last glance.

"Stay strong," Donghyuck whispers just as the doors behind them close with a loud click.

🥀🥀🥀

"We have the adress of Doyoung's workplace," Donghyuck gives him a file with 'Case #7' written on it. It makes Renjun sick to his stomach how someone's life can be simply reduced to a number but at the same time the number helps him focus on his task instead of the look in Jeno's eyes. "Should we take anyone else with us?"

Renjun stops and looks at the boy beside him. In all the years they have worked each other Donghyuck has never looked so unsure of what he is doing. There are questions in his eyes that Renjun doesn't know the answer to.

"I'm guessing you prefer to take Mark," he says and bumps their shoulders lightly until something like a smile appears on his lips.

"I guess Mark is fine," Donghyuck's voice is instantly lighter at the mention of his best friend. Renjun sighs. He couldn't help Jeno feel better just yet but maybe he can make Donghyuck forget how bad their situation is just for a moment.

"What about me?" A voice calls from behind them and they both turn around to face a smiling Mark. Renjun guesses the news of who their newest victim is haven't reached him yet.

"We need you for a questioning," Renjun answers before Donghyuck has the chance to speak. "Here."

Mark looks down at the papers and Renjun curses inwardly at himself for not reading them first. 

"See you there."

Renjun almost drags Donghyuck out of the building.

🥀🥀🥀

The building that they pull up to after almost an hour of driving around or more like sweet torture as Renjun names it, is one of the biggest in town.

Donghyuck spends the whole ride jumping around radio stations and a part of Renjun wishes he would just play one of his usual CD. But then again, Renjun values his ears so maybe the radio is better.

He doesn't know. He just wishes Donghyuck wouldn't feel as guilty as he looks.

"You know it's not your fault, right?" Renjun's grip on the steering wheel tightens as he gets ready for yet another of Donghyuck bullshit talks about him being the head of their division and therefore being responsible for every crime in town. That, or a joke to mask his emotions.

"We should had caught them."

"How?"

"I don't _know_ ," Donghyuck's voice raises at the end and he punches the dashboard. Renjun doesn't even flinch.

"Donghyuck," he titles his head slightly to the younger inviting him to lean on him if he needs to.

Donghyuck heavies a sigh but accepts the offer, his face disappearing in the crook of Renjun's arm.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to look Jeno in the eyes now," his words are muffled by Renjun's sweater but they still make his stomach twist with guilt. He knows he _is_ right, they are doing everything they can but the fact that it's still not enough is hard to accept.

"He doesn't blame you Donghyuck."

Donghyuck doesn't answer, instead buring his face deeper into Renjun and the older sighs, content.

He knows he can't ignore the painful pang in his chest whenever he is this close to Donghyuck for much longer. It's been at the back of his head for god knows how long and mornings like today's only make it harder for him.

They make him wonder if Donghyuck _knows_.

' _When this all ends I'll tell him_ ,' he tells himself and nods.

And then, because he is still a good officer and a functioning part of society Renjun straightens and gently removes Donghyuck's head from his shoulder.

"Time to go," he says and at the look on Donghyuck's face he adds: "Mark is waiting."

🥀🥀🥀

Mark waits for them in the lobby just outside Taeyong's room.

"Taeyong is Doyoung's boss," he explains as they wait for Yuta, one of the other employees to let them in.

"I know you guys shouldn't wait but I can't just storm in there while the meeting is still going," Yuta gives them an apologetic expression and Mark waves him off with a smile. It seems like in the additional time that it had gotten Renjun and Donghyuck to get here Mark has somehow charmed Yuta because the older boy is giving him bright smiles now while completely ignoring Renjun and Donghyuck.

"Mark can be charming when he wants to be," Renjun throws Donghyuck a sade glance. "That worker looks about ready to throw himself out of the window if Mark asked."

Donghyuck snorts ungracefully. The tips of Mark's ears turn bright red. Renjun doesn't feel guilty for speaking too loudly.

Thankfully, it doesn't take that long for the meeting inside to finish.

Renjun busies himself with thinking over every question that he means to ask when they are finally let inside while Donghyuck plays with the hem of his sweater. The delicate tug helps Renjun focus and he hums in content.

Mark doesn't even have time to sit down, Yuta hold him in place with his relentless flirting. Renjun would maybe feel bad for his friend and help him out if not for the faint blush coloring Mark's neck.

"Many tried but no one has captured mighty Mark's attention up until now," says Renjun in a voice barely above a whisper.

Donghyuck doesn't get time to answer because the doors open and they both jump apart.

Mark also panics and hurries to join them leaving Yuta to deal with his boss before letting them in.

In that brief moment when the older doesn't have Mark theer to flirt with his face transforms into something that looks like devastation.

Renjun notes down that they need to get Yuta down to the station, too. Despite his easy going attitude earlier it seems he knew Doyoung well.

Well, enough to be questioned at least.

🥀🥀🥀

"I'm Taeyong, I heard you wanted to talk to me." 

Taeyong is a lot younger than Renjun has expected and there's a hint of surprise in Donghyuck's eyes too ut his partner is fast to mask it with a pleasant smile.

They shake hands and with a quick goodbye from Yuta, and a not so subtle wink for Mark, they get inside.

"I assume you are here because of Doyoung," Taeyong sits behind the desk and gestures for the three of them to make themselves at home on the sofa.

Donghyuck squeezes between Mark and Renjun and the older of the two gives Renjun a look that's more a cry for help. Mark looks close to crying, squeezed between Donghyuck and the wall.

Renjun turns to Taeyong and readies himself for the conversation.

"We have a few questions," Donghyuck starts and pulls out a notebook and a pen. "One of our detectives said that you called to report Doyoung being missing a few days ago, is that true?"

Taeyong nods.

"Yuta called because Doyoung didn't show up for work second day in a row without notice. That was two days and we haven't heard from him for about three days before the call."

Renjun looks down at the papers that Mark has returned to him just before entering.

"Tell us more about Doyoung. Did he have any enemies, maybe someone who was after his position here? Any friends, people who we should talk too?"

" _I'm_ his best friend," Taeyong stops when he realizes what he has just said and blinks. For a split second Renjun sees the man Taeyong must be outside of work. The older looks like he is barely keeping himself together. "Was. Will always be. Whatever. Any questions you want to ask, ask me."

For a moment the room is quiet but then Donghyuck nods at the older to continue and Taeyong is back to normal.

"Doyoung didn't have any enemies. Everyone roasted him from time to time here but I wouldn't put much meaning into it, Yuta for example is just full of shit."

At that there's a strange noise coming from somewhere on the right and Renjun turns his attention to Mark who looks even more red than before.

"As for other people who you might want to talk to, Doyoung has a boyfriend, Jaehyun," Taeyong deflects a little, probably imagining the hell that Jaehyun is about to go through soon. "I can give you his number. There's also Yuta but you already know him, and Jungwoo, they are pretty close."

Taeyong gives them the numbers and Mark thanks him for the time he has given them.

"We are sorry for your loss," he says and from the expression on his face Renjun can tell that Mark can at least imagine the pain Taeyong must be going through. His eyes are traced on Donghyuck and it makes sense.

With a profession like theirs you never know which day might be your last. There are a lot of people they deal with that value even last year's snow more than their life.

Taeyong seems to notice that Mark's words are sincere and nods at him with a weak smile on his lips.

"Thank you," he says and for a moment he looks like he wants to say more, tears appearing in the corners of his eyes. Renjun knows they will have to call him down to the station again but right now he feels like Taeyong deserves time to himself to grief a little. "Catch the person that did this to Doie."

Taeyong's voice breaks on the last word and Renjun closes his eyes as the door clicks quietly behind them.

"I'm going to call off the rest of the meetings for today," Yuta says and stands up from one of the chairs that Renjun and Donghyuck has occupied before.

"Do you want to come down with us today or tomorrow?" Donghyuck asks instead.

Yuta sighs.

"I get to choose?" He asks in a poor attempt at humor but it's clear that their presence combined with the meeting with Taeyong has made his brain catch up with what's happening. "As much as I would love to get a ride from Mark, I think I'll pass on that offer. I'll come tomorrow."

Donghyuck nods at him with understanding. They still have more people to question anyway.

"I can leave you my number. In case you need help or anything," Mark says carefully and at this Donghyuck's brows rise until they disappear under his bangs. Renjun would probably laugh at Mark's lame attempt at flirting if the situation was different. "This must be hard for you."

But, poor attempt or not, it seems to be working because the smile Yuta gives them this time seems to be a little more genuine.

"I would like that very much."

🥀🥀🥀

"Yuta called, he will be here at 3," Mark tosses at Renjun another file of papers and as they land with a loud thud on his desk he wants to bang his head next to them.

"Guess there's no escaping calling Jaehyun down now," he says to no one else in particular as he eyes the clock on the wall. There are still three hours left until Yuta will get to the station and by the looks of it Donghyuck and Yangyang should be done with Jungwoo's questioning soon.

Renjun isn't sure how he got himself into being the one to question the hardest one. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Donghyuck was the one to ask. Maybe not.

Renjun curses his not so platonic feelings for the younger under his breath now.

He looks around to see who else is relatively free and seem not completely terrified to help him.

He spots Jisung hiding behind a big plant that Donghyuck has dragged up the stars into their department what feels like forever ago. Renjun suspects the poor plant won't make it till the end of this investigation.

He crosses Jisung out of his list and then his eyes land on Hendery who looks like he is having a very heated conversation on the phone. That won't do. Mark is also out of the question, Renjun feels decent enough today to let the older run just one questioning because no way in hell Renjun is handling Yuta too.

Renjun almost loses hope and makes his peace with the perspective of a lonely torture when he spots Chenle nearing the small kitchen across the room.

"Hey! Lele!" He yells and it earns him a from from Jisung who practically squeaks when Renjun starts making his way towards him. The younger only relaxes when Renjun passes him and instead stops next to his best friend. "You have a moment?"

"I was actually about to eat," Chenle starts but a small smile blossoms on his lips when he sees the expression on Renjun's face. The younger might be the only one who likes questioning people no matter the circumstances and Renjun is only party glad that he knows Chenle will agree. "But I guess that can wait a little bit more."

Or more like two hours, it turns out.

Jaehyun, once Renjun calls him and Chenle listens to the conversation from behind his shoulder, turns up at the station fast.

The older boy is nice, giving them a small smile and even thanking them for their hard work even thought Renjun can't keep the grimace away from his face. It feels wrong to keep his composure and nod at the comments when in truth, both he and Chenle know that they haven't really done anything yet. Not enough, at least.

' _If we did our job as we should he wouldn't even be dead_ ,' sounds almost like something Donghyuck would tell Renjun in the middle of the night, in the comfort of Renjun's apartment.

Thinking this way is not safe now.

"Can you please tell us about the last time you saw Doyoung?" Renjun sets down the file that contains pictures and notes on the table before settling down. He is carefully to not let anything slip out of the file. He doesn't want Jaehyun see the pictures unless absolutely necessary.

"I went to visit him about four days before he went missing. We had a movie night and…" Jaehyun stops for a moment and looks down at his hands, real not rehearsed emotions showing up on his face for the first time. "I had a lot of work that week and I told him we could probably only meet next week. But there's not gonna be a next week, right?"

Renjun swallows and Chenle shifts next to him.

"Is he really gone?" Jaehyun looks up at them. The look in his eyes catches Renjun off guard. It's raw and the hurt is so real it makes Renjun's heart ache. He doesn't know what it feels like, prays he never will, but right now he can get a glimpse through Jaehyun. He turns to Chenle and they stare at each other for a moment. It's clear they both don't think this is their guy. "We planned to move in together soon. I was looking through apartment instead of getting my job done at work and Johnny was starting to get annoyed, I think. Well, it doesn't matter now."

Renjun resists the urge to say that everything matters, even the smallest bits.

Chenle is better at this than he is and Renjun is glad to let the younger take the lead from this point on.

Jaehyun is cooperative, answering each question best he can, voice growing smaller each time he speaks.

At some point Renjun's gaze travels to the glass that separates them from the other room in which others can observe the turn of events if they want too.

Renjun knows that Donghyuck is probably behind the glass, brows furrowed as he observes Jaehyun's body language more than listens to his words. There's no way of knowing for sure but Renjun can almost feel the moment their eyes meet.

Jaehyun's words are still in his ears, the hurt in them making Renjun want to go next door and hug Donghyuck. Instead, he stares until it feels like he can understand Jaehyun's pain.

Because it's not Donghyuck who stares at him back but his own reflection.

🥀🥀🥀

"Your theories, I'm listening," Donghyuck moves closer to the wall so that both of them can have a nice view of the interrogation room which is currently empty.

"My theories on if Yuta will try to flirt with Mark again?" Renjun asks as he settles down his coffee mug on the table and goes back to staring at the empty room with Donghyuck.

The younger snorts.

"Not really, I thought this one was obvious. Ten bucks Mark will flirt back."

Renjun raises his eyebrows.

"You want me to enter a bet I know I'll lose?"

"Maybe," Donghyuck answers with a shrug. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Renjun partly wants to punch and partly wants to kiss Donghyuck.

"You got me there. I'm not offering ten bucks though. Homemade dinner."

Donghyuck turns to him just as Yuta and Mark appear at the entrance of the room.

"That might be even better," he says and directs his gaze at the victims of their bet. "Will you add a desert if they do it in the first five minutes?"

"I'll add drinks if they already flirted," Renjun nods at their friend who already looks a little bit red in the face. "Let's wait to see who won and let's wait with our little brainstorm for Mark too."

Donghyuck doesn't say a word and if he is surprised at the sudden suggestion to bring someone new to their duo, he doesn't show it. Normally they work best as a pair but this isn't a simple investigation and Renjun feels that Mark's input could be helpful right now.

Especially since the older seems to already know Yuta quite well.

They observe in silence as Mark gestures for Yuta to sit and the they both grab water bottles before starting any real questioning.

Yuta looks different today, like the reality has finally caught up to him over the course of the last twenty four hours. There are dark circles under his eyes and Renjun can't be sure from the distance but he thinks he can spot redness in his eyes too.

"He has been crying," Renjun notes and sighs. It's only normal but this Yuta is so different from the one they have encountered yesterday. The one from back then seemed like someone they wouldn't mind befriending, someone Mark might date. This Yuta looks broken.

"They all have been," Donghyuck's face is stoic. Renjun wishes his partner allowed himself to show more emotions in moments like this one. "I saw them all. Do you know in what state Taeyong arrived today? I sent Jaemin to drive him back home. Jungwoo wasn't so much better and you are the one who saw Jaehyun's painted gaze firsthand."

"So you've noticed it."

"That's our job Injun," Donghyuck's eyes follow Yuta's every movement through the glass. "For what's it's worth, I don't think any of them had anything to do with it."

"Me neither," Renjun can't keep emotions out of his voice and it makes Donghyuck turn his attention to him. "But this is our breaking case, right?"

"I think so. It's fundamentally different from the others. It has to mean something."

Behind the glass Mark gulps loudly before venturing into harder questions.

"Is there anyone, literally anyone no matter how trivial, that comes to mind when you think about who could be behind this?"

Yuta shifts in his sit, expression tired and his eyes abandon Mark for a moment to scan the mirror behind the officer. Renjun feels unsettled.

"You have talked to the others probably. I bet Taeyong told you that I was the one arguing with Doyoung the most but I can assure you that he was one of my best friends. I loved him."

Silence falls in both rooms and Renjun knows that right now Mark is trying to distinguish all the emotions that hide behind Yuta's words. Is there bitterness and if so, where does it come from?

Because they are all officers, each one of them has their specialty when it comes to questioning.

Donghyuck is the best with body language, Renjun with emotions on people's faces, Chenle with asking best questions and Mark works best with hidden meanings behind words.

Renjun and Donghyuck both wait in silence for their friend's reaction.

It takes a few minutes for the tension to finally be broken by Mark. He gets up and his chair makes a scratching noise which makes Renjun grimace.

"Thank you for your time. That would be all."

And with that Mark leaves the interrogation room but instead or coming straight to where the two of them are waiting he runs up to his desk first.

Donghyuck raises his eyebrows as they observe Yuta who is still frozen at the table. Now, without Mark to keep him from breaking with questions, there are silent tears streaming down his face.

Renjun turns around and reaches for his mug.

"And? What do you think?" He asks his partner. If there is anyone who could make sense of all of this, it's probably Donghyuck.

"I don't think we interrogated our murderer today."

Renjun agrees.

"I hope we are on the same page here guys," Mark says as he opens the door and waves the case files at them. 'Case #7' seems to be laughing at Renjun.

"With not being any wiser than before today? Yeah," he answers and grabs the papers that Mark offers him.

He expects to find all the documents they have collected but instead he only finds the photos of the flower there.

"Are you joining Donghyuck in his theory that the flowers are the answer to all of our questions?"

"When have I _ever_ said that?" The younger protests but he imminently shuts up when he sees the expression on Renjun's face.

"Don't know about all the answers but they are the only thing that link Doyoung's case to the others."

"Are you saying that this could be a copycat?" Renjun asks.

"It crossed my mind too," Donghyuck takes the photos from Renjun and points at the flower. "We haven't released the information about the flower to the press but who knows. But I don't think this is a copycat. Not after the questioning."

Mark nods in agreements.

"Which means we have more to go off thanks to this particular case."

"We have the crime scene. This murder looks a lot more personal, almost like the other ones were here just to throw us off."

The room falls silent once more after Renjun's words. It's hard to think about violence this senseless but at least it could mean the murderer is done with their crimes.

"Maybe," Donghyuck looks Renjun in the eyes. "Or maybe not. We will see. For now, we need to check all the leads we have."

"What about Jeno?" Mark asks and silence falls on the table again.

It's been days since this small hell has broke out but Renjun is still hesitant about involving Jeno in all the mess.

"I think that no matter what, we need to question him too," the older adds and despite his own emotions clouding his judgment Renjun finds himself nodding.

"Then, if we all agree it's time to call down Jeno," Donghyuck's voice is tired and there's sadness there too. None of them want to drag their friend thought this but they must. "There's only one person we can call down to lead his questioning."

Both Mark and Renjun nod again. They know who Donghyuck means and even though he doesn't normally do this part of the investigation, it's their best bet.

They exit the room in silence, Renjun's eyes fixated on his desk, their ridiculous bet long forgotten.

He knows he will give Donghyuck all he has promised no matter if he won or not.

But that's for much later, Renjun thinks.

Jeno first, Donghyuck second. At least for today.

🥀🥀🥀

Jaemin doesn't feel comfortable in the interrogation room and it's pretty apparent.

Renjun, Donghyuck and Mark are once again behind the mirror, their gazes tracing every movement of their friends on the other side.

Jeno is calm and collected despite all that's happening to him. He has a neutral look on his face as Jaemin fires question after question at him.

"When have you seen him last?"

"About two days before he went missing. We were going to meet on the second day that he hasn't been heard from. Doyoung promised to help me pick up new bedsheets and maybe some tablecloths after work. When he hasn't answered my calls I thought that maybe he is too busy with work or maybe Jaehyun hyung, I don't know. I should have done something."

Jaemin tugs at his t-shirt nervously.

"You two were close right?"

Jeno nods and his eyes fall down to the table for the first time since the questioning started.

Renjun wants to go to the other room and try to cheer him up, fuck the rules. Donghyuck stops him before he can even move with a soft touch on his shoulder. After closer inspection he can see that all of them feel the same.

"He was my only family here," Jeno's voice trembles so he stops to take a deep breath. "We were always close. I remember Doyoung buying me my favorite lollipops when I was little. He was like my older brother."

"Jeno doesn't know a thing," Donghyuck says but his eyes aren't on their friend. He isn't looking at his body language and while Renjun agrees with him, it's hardly ethical if they give Jeno special treatment.

"I doubt he is responsible but we must finish the questioning."

"Jaemin looks like he is about to break down, maybe we should replace him," Donghyuck makes a move like he wants to go to the other room and this time it's Renjun who stops him.

"Leave them," he says. They have called Jaemin from his job analyzing crime scene photos here for a reason. "Jeno is his best friend. They've known each other since diapers like you and Mark. If there's anyone he would feel comfortable around answering all the questions, it's Jaemin."

Donghyuck deflects but doesn't make another attempt at escaping Renjun's grasp.

"Let's leave them alone then," he says.

They all trust Jaemin with this and so, without another word they leave the too private conversation and go investigate other leads.

🥀🥀🥀

Renjun almost forgets his bet with Donghyuck by the time his partner shows up on his doorstep at ten at night.

He knows he is missing something when instead of letting himself in like he would do any other time Donghyuck knocks and actually waits for Renjun to open the front door.

"Donghyuck," he greets the other with a slight smile. The younger looks tired, the light from Renjun's apartment enough to make out the dark bags under his eyes. Renjun supposes he doesn't look any better. "Mark is going to think you are living with me now if you keep this up."

"He would be happy to get rid of me," Donghyuck passes by Renjun and maybe it's only the latter's imagination but when their shoulders touch he thinks he can feel Donghyuck tense for a second.

"I don't think so. Rent is quite expensive in your area," he answers and shuts the door behind them. "Are you here to discuss the case or for something else?"

At the mention of 'something else' Donghyuck's brows shot up.

"I'm here to collect my prize. Mark has told me all about Yuta's flirting even before they entered the room."

"He did?" Renjun asks. To be fair, he hasn't prepared any food, even for himself and now his brain is running in circles, trying to figure out if he has enough ingredients to make anything Donghyuck likes.

"I would bet on how fast the two of them start dating but seeing that you don't even have today's prizes ready I'm not sure it's worth it. I feel scammed."

Renjun rolls his eyes.

"I can make something don't be dramatic."

Donghyuck gives him a small smile and raises his hand. Renjun hasn't noticed it before but there's a plastic bag hanging from the younger fingers as he waves his hand cheerfully.

"No need. _I_ made food."

"So did you lose the bet? There will be no epic romance between Mark and Yuta?" He asks as he takes the bag from Donghyuck and examines what's inside. There's tottobokki there and Renjun looks up at the younger. "When did you make this?"

"I was thinking ahead," Donghyuck points to his head but Renjun knows that he is joking. "And, oh, believe me, there _will_ be romance. Haven't you heard that Mark offered to eat dinner with Yuta tonight? The whole office was talking about it. He said he will be home late and so I figured I might take the dinner and eat with you."

"Oh so I'm your second option?" Renjun raises his eyebrows jokingly and Donghyuck laughs.

"After Mark? Never."

It feels good to eat dinner with Donghyuck like this. Conversation going smoothly without stepping into dangerous territory.

Donghyuck laughs at his own jokes while Renjun scowls at him when he catches the younger stealing his food when he isn't looking.

Before they know it, it gets late.

"Maybe you should stay the night," Renjun proposes after looking at the time on his phone, willing it to be earlier than it really is. He doesn't like the idea of Donghyuck roaming the streets in the dark even if they are both police officers. "You didn't drive here, did you."

The younger shakes his head but he doesn't look concerned.

"I'm honored you want to share your bed with me but I need to get back. Mark might look fine but I know he won't be. Especially now, after spending time trying to make Yuta feel better."

"Still. Let me drive you," he counters in a tone that doesn't take no for an answer.

Donghyuck sighs, resigned. Renjun gets up to go find his coat.

"Let's go then."

🥀🥀🥀

During the whole ride Donghyuck sings.

It's terribly off key and Renjun grimaces at the noise his partner is making.

"I know you can sing," he says through gritted teeth. Donghyuck laughs. "I hate you."

"No you don't," Donghyuck sing songs as they get out of the car and into the building.

Renjun stays quiet as they walk down dark corridors. It's late and he would rather not face people threatening him with calling the police. Telling them that he _is_ an officer would be humiliating.

Thankfully, Donghyuck stays silent too although as they get closer and closer to his apartment, the look in the younger's eyes becomes darker.

When they reach the door Donghyuck doesn't even have enough fight in him to look up at Renjun.

The weight of the past two days is heavy on their shoulders. Jeno's face suddenly comes to Renjun and he wonders if Donghyuck is thinking about him too.

"Donghyuck," a step, then another until they are close enough to touch. He reaches for his friend wrist and grabs it carefully.

They stay like that for a few minutes.

Renjun doesn't move away. Donghyuck probably expects him too. Normally, if it was anyone else, he would.

It's hard to concentrate that close to the younger, his energy almost electric under Renjun's fingertips still around Donghyuck's wrist.

"Don't let the guilt cloud you. I know Mark needs a pick me up but what about you?"

Donghyuck eyes fall on him, dark and unreadable.

"I have you," he says and a shiver runs down Renjun's spine. He lets go of Donghyuck's wrist. "Catch you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah," he whispers and when Donghyuck's doors shut behind him, he doesn't protest.

🥀🥀🥀

Renjun doesn't catch Donghyuck the next day. Or the one after that. He doesn't catch him at all, and there is no one to catch him too when his heart falls when Mark calls him later that night.

"Renjun, is Donghyuck at yours?" The older asks and the words make alarms go off in Renjun's head.

"No, I dropped him off at your place. I saw him shut the door. Why are you asking?" He asks stupidly as if Mark's slightly higher than normal tone doesn't serve for an answer already.

"I just got back from my dinner with Yuta and he is not here. I thought—" Mark stops for a moment and the line goes silent. "I thought that maybe he stayed at yours after all, even if he promised."

Renjun stays silent, his brain trying to look for a logical explanation but there is none.

"I wouldn't be mad, I promise. I just...want him to be safe," Mark sounds broken now.

Renjun feels his hands go numb and his heart freeze. The images of Doyoung's lifeless body filling out every space in his mind. Except, now the face is Donghyuck's.

He tightens the grip on his phone, willing his mind to _work_. They don't know what's happening for sure.

And even if, they might still have time.

"Mark I need you to focus, okay?" He pauses and only continues when the older gives him a shaky 'yes' "I'll call the others. You go preserve the crime scene."

At the last words Mark lets out a cry and Renjun can feel first tears falling. Thanks god, they are silent for now.

"We will get him back, you hear me?" Renjun wills his voice to sounds stronger than he feels. "No matter what. Even if it means tearing the world to the ground."

🥀🥀🥀

The first person that actually answers Renjun's calls is Jeno.

At first, Renjun debated even getting the boy involved in this but his desperation after so many calls unanswered won.

At the end of the day, Donghyuck is one of Jeno best friends too. And no matter what's happening in Jeno's life, Jeno cares.

"I don't have my car," Jeno mumbles, still half asleep. "Can someone get me?"

"If you manage to wake up Jaemin, than maybe," Renjun answers. He could have done it too but he is too close to Donghyuck's apartment to turn back now. "I've called everyone and you are the first one to actually answer."

Jeno mumbles something again but Renjun can't catch it, the heartbeat in his ears too loud.

"I'll wake him up. You call Jisung and Chenle again."

Renjun ends the call.

When he pulls up to the building he is greeted with Mark, still fully dressed and looking rather normal if not for the terrified look in his eyes.

"I called the boss. He says it shouldn't even be our investigation since we are too close to the 'victim' but since we are already there—"

Chenle's and Jisung's arrival interrupts them.

"Donghyuck is no victim yet," the older of the two says with a determined look on his face. Renjun has never seen Chenle so serious before. "And he won't be as long as we have anything to say in this."

Mark nods weakly and leads them back to where Renjun has wished Donghyuck good night not even two hours ago.

The rest of the night is a blurr. Jeno and Jaemin come and go as they collect the evidence and work long past the sunrise.

At some point they take their investigation to the station and continue there. They try everything.

But there's nothing. Renjun sees it clearly. There's nothing that can help them solve this. No trace of forced entry. No evidence of a struggle.

Renjun doesn't want to give up, can't give up. He will work himself down to the bone if it means bringing Donghyuck back. He will ruin himself.

So he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thats it for now :D next one shouldn't take as long because it's mostly written but who knows...


	3. Act III: Forget-me-nots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renjun has already lost Donghyuck, the most important person to him, so why does it feel like the world isn't done taking people away from him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey wow new chapter so fast after the last one? during exam season? Magic. I'm not lazy I promise.
> 
> Anyway, for this chapter, there is talk about starvation but its real brief but I'll like to point that out<3
> 
> Big thanks especially to raina and val who tried guessing who the murderer is, guys let me know if you have a change of heart lol
> 
> also, BIGGEST thanks to berry who keeps sprinting with me thru the nights, we are the real mvps mate :3

"Renjun," says the most important person in the whole building and Renjun doesn't bother to spare him attention.

"Leave him alone Myungsoo," Jun says from behind their boss, and from the corner of the eye Renjun can see Chenle giving them all a stinky look.

"What do you want boss?" Renjun asks through gritted teeth. He thinks he has a pretty good idea why the sudden visit.

Renjun is normally a good cop, amazing even but this? This is something he can't do.

"Cut the crap, you know why we are here," Mingyu says in that cheerful tone of his that he always uses. It makes his words seem nice, almost as if there were compliments even if the older is literally cursing you.

Renjun decides to play stupid.

"In fact, I believe I don't," he gestures at the chair opposite of him. It's the place that Donghyuck usually occupies when there's something they need to discuss and it can't really wait. His partner never sits straight in it though and as Myungsoo sits Renjun can't help but grimace. His posture is perfect. "Be kind and enlighten me."

Mingyu huffs under his breath and Jun raises his eyebrows at his friend. Renjun focuses on his boss.

The other two might be high ranked officers but so was Donghyuck. The only person he should be worried about is Myungsoo.

"You went and invested alone despite my orders. The only person qualified enough to do that is Donghyuck."

"Donghyuck _is_ the one missing, you realize boss?" Renjun asks. He is betting a lot on this working out. His job is on the line but at the same time, he can't have them take the case.

He knows the other team is good, it's not like he doesn't trust them but he can't trust anyone on not abandoning hope no matter how much time passes.

"Your team can't be on this case," Myungsoo's voice is unwavering as he gestures for Mingyu and Jun to move closer. "I'll speak to Soonyoung and let him know it's your job now. Renjun, hand over the papers."

" _No_ ," Renjun can feel his teeth gritting together almost painfully. He fixates his gaze on Mingyu and then on Jun, willing them not to move.

There is sadness and maybe even understanding in Mingyu's eyes but untimely whatever horrible scenario the older has been imagining in order to _get_ what Renjun is feeling, it's not enough to make him disobey the orders.

Renjun might be willing to sacrifice his career but others aren't. And why should they? For them, Donghyuck was always just a shadow running down the corridors like a fox.

To Renjun, Donghyuck is everything.

"We are the ones who are dealing with the murder investigation. It's our field, not theirs. We know their behavior and, most importantly, we know _Donghyuck_.," he tries to reason but it's hardly helping.

"Maybe I should give the whole case to Soonyoung's team then?"

Renjun's heart stops for a second.

This is probably it. This is the real decision he has to make. It was never between keeping Donghyuck's case or not, it was always this.

Give up it wholly or let Soonyoung's team take only Donghyuck.

Renjun forces his eyes closed and takes a deep breath.

"No," he says, voice even. "No need for that. Mark has all the information apart from forensics. You can find them with Yangyang."

Myungsoo nods at Mingyu and Jun again.

"You heard him," he says and stands up. He gives Renjun one last glance before turning to leave.

Renjun hopes the older could read in his eyes that this isn't over. No matter the rules, he won't stop searching. He will find a way to get information and his team will solve this.

But for now, all he can do is watch the three men leave.

They make their way and Renjun can't look at Mark's expression when Myungsoo asks in a cold voice for case files of 'Case #6266'.

Mark clenches the papers in his hands, unwilling to let go and his eyes search for something. Or maybe they search for Renjun because when their gazes meet Mark tilts head as if silently asking for permission.

Renjun wants to yell at the older that, now with Donghyuck gone, it's _him_ who should be giving orders not Renjun but a part of him is glad that Mark trusts him on this.

He nods and Mark finally lets Jun take the file. He looks as bad as Renjun feels so when the three officers finally take their leave to talk to Yangyang Renjun slips on the chair next to Mark.

"What were they here for?" Hendery asks and next to him Chenle furrows his brows, expression already gloomy. It's not hard to tell that he has heard the whole conversation.

"They are taking Donghyuck's case," Jaemin says and he sounds so sure that Renjun simply nods instead of answering.

"I won't let him get lost in this mess. None of us will," he says instead and the rest of his team nods. Somehow, they are all here now apart from Jeno who is still at home.

"It was just a matter of time Renjun. There was nothing you could do to change his mind," Mark aims at reassuring but his tone land somewhere between panicked and defeated. It does little to calm Renjun's nerves.

"We all knew it was coming," Chenle nods his head as if he hasn't heard Mark's words at all. Jisung looks at his best friend worriedly. "But we can still make it work."

"How?" Renjun asks doubtfully. He has ideas, of course, but it would take time before any of them can take shape and be useful.

"Don't you know?" Chenle asks in a mysterious voice, a small and uneasy smirk forming on his lips. "Jun is actually my cousin."

🥀🥀🥀

The first time Jun appears in their part of the building after the rather bad last encounter Renjun keeps his eyes on him, not even caring if the older can see it or not.

Maybe he even hopes Jun knows he is being watched.

Chenle doesn't seem to share Renjun's concerns, welcoming his cousin with a laugh and a high five. At least on the outside, Chenle is calm. Inside, the other is probably trying to calculate why Jun is even here.

When Chenle tells Renjun that Jun has agreed to leak information he was more than skeptical.

"What does he gain from it?" Renjun asks. He was expecting to have to beg for information.

"He said both he and Mingyu wanted to help but since Mingyu is Soonyoung's right hand that would be difficult to pull off. Jun has a reason to be here anyway, Myungsoo has no business trying to tear families apart."

Renjun doesn't point out that Chenle's words don't exactly fit the situation because he supposes the younger is right.

"As long as it won't be obvious. Remember we are being monitored."

"I think Myungsoo has stopped caring what we are doing in our offices a long time ago," Chenle laughs and Renjun can't disagree. His mind supplies him with endless memories of his teammate's eccentric behavior but he shoves them away. He can't bear thinking about Donghyuck now.

"You are probably right but remember this isn't a game. Donghyuck's life is on the line," that ends the discussion and now, two days after, Renjun isn't so sure.

Normally, when he asked around he would get a gossip or two about what's happening in the other departments. Now, when he appears all conversations stop abruptly.

It makes him feel uneasy and each time he automatically turns to his left, used to Donghyuck's calming presence. Then he remembers it's because of Donghyuck that he gets the stares in the first place.

It makes him wonder if they think he is dead. It makes him wonder what they know.

Renjun taps the top of Doyoung's case files with his pen as he stares at Jun's back.

"Renjun?"

The pen falls to the ground.

"Mark," Renjun makes a move to retrieve it but Mark is faster. They stare at each other for a moment while Renjun makes sure the pen doesn't escape his grasp again. "You look terrible."

"You too," the older answers and throws a glance behind his shoulder. "Any news?"

"No," Renjun tries to will Chenle to talk faster, get the information faster, _move_ faster. He doesn't want to waste any time if he can help it. "Not yet. You?"

"Nothing on Donghyuck," Mark stops for a moment and blinks as he has just realized what he is saying. "Hyuck...I'm—"

"I know Mark," Renjun sighs. They have all been working with Donghyuck for years but Mark is the only one who truly understands him. While Renjun's feelings might extend the usual coworkers and friend ones, Mark has been Donghyuck's best friend since diapers. "I'm sure he knows too."

"Right," Mark seems to feel better at the small comfort of Renjun words, and the younger can't help but smile for the first time since Donghyuck's disappearance. "Right. Yuta called me today. I've told him about Donghyuck and he...I think he understands."

Renjun waits for it, waits for the pang of realization that Yuta probably understands because his best friend went missing too. Only he turned up dead.

Donghyuck is not dead yet.

"How is he?" Renjun asks and because he suddenly feels bad for the older he adds. "I feel bad that we don't have any news about Doyoung's case yet."

Mark's face hardens into an expression of determination that Renjun hasn’t seen despite Mark's attitude for the past few days. Maybe Yuta _is_ a good influence after all.

"He told me to find Donghyuck at any cost."

Renjun nods at this, palms closing into fists at his sides.

"Of course we will."

"Even now?" The older asks and both of their gazes travel to the back of Jun's head.

"Even now," Renjun whispers.

🥀🥀🥀

"Anything?" Renjun corners Chenle after their work hours finish.

Normally none of them would be there anymore, Renjun on his way home with Donghyuck in the passenger seat.

Now the office is full of whispers.

"Smart," the corners of Chenle's mouth lift slightly and he tips his head in Renjun's direction, shielding them from view. "Myungsoo is not gonna ask for the tapes from after work. He thinks we are really going home."

The younger's tone of mocking but there's an edge to it and Renjun wonders if maybe, it's still not safe to talk.

"Wanna grab coffee or?"

Chenle laughs.

"Are you asking me out? Save that for Donghyuck," he laughs some more at Renjun's painted expression. This time not because of what's happening but because somehow Chenle _knows_. Then again, maybe Donghyuck is the only one who doesn't. "And, for everyone's sake, please ask him out once we get him back."

 _Once_ , not _if_.

"We will have to get him back first."

"Right," Chenle nods. "I think it's fine to talk here but next time, let me just visit you."

Renjun hums in acknowledgment.

"Jun said they don't have much yet but apparently they have been looking into the other cases since Doyoung's body turned up," Chenle looks around them, up and down the corridor with sharp eyes and it makes Renjun's heart beat painfully in his chest. "They have no idea where Donghyuck is but apparently they have a suspect."

Renjun's hands grab at the wall in the dark with the desperation of someone drowning and fighting for every breath. It feels similar.

"They do," he whispers and he searches for any answers in Chenle's eyes. "Why aren't they doing anything?"

"They... Jun told me he can't tell me who it is but as long as Donghyuck is at their mercy they can't arrest them. I think we can all agree with their conclusion that whoever this is, they would hesitate to let Donghyuck die and so they would probably never get the information out of them if they made a move now."

What Chenle is saying makes sense and the logical part of Renjun knows it. Whoever they are dealing with is not a simple criminal who would break under pressure.

No, as much as Renjun hates it, Myungsoo is right about this.

"So we search, right?"

"That's not all," this time Chenle's voice is small and it sounds like the older is almost scared. "There's also another reason they haven't arrested them yet apparently. They think it's an inner job. They think it's one of us."

It's a good thing Renjun's hands are already on the wall because in that moment his legs give out. If before it felt like drowning, now he feels like the ground under him tilts and he can't tell which way is up anymore.

"An inner job?" He asks in a whisper. "One of us?"

He thinks back to the rooms behind their back where lights are still on and Jaemin and Mark are sitting around a map of their area. Hendery and Yangyang have offered to get them all dinner from a Chinese restaurant across the street and Jisung is waiting for Renjun and Chenle to come back to resume their search of missed clues in old case files.

"He didn't say it's someone from our team."

"I think Myungsoo taking Donghyuck's case from us speaks volumes."

"I don't know," Chenle moves away and gives Renjun a worried look. "Maybe he was just expecting us to act in a rush when we eventually came to the same conclusion they did. I mean, I must say that might have happened. You look like shit hyung."

Renjun takes a shaky breath and pushes himself off of the wall to stand next to the younger.

"Thanks. I try my best."

"I know," Chenle's voice is gentle this time. "I know. Let's get back."

Renjun just nods and follows Chenle's lead back to the colorful and full of whispers room.

🥀🥀🥀

"How about we check there," Mark's eyes mirror the slight flicker of the lamp hanging low from their office ceiling. The older is leaning low over Renjun's shoulders, his finger almost touching the map laid out before them, shaking.

It's been like this for two weeks now. The two of them with an occasional addition of Jeno or Jaemin with Yangyang and Hendery stopping by to throw random ideas into the never-ending list of possibilities.

It's easy to add to the list, harder to cross things off.

"I don't think the killer would go that far. Until now he has only attacked in the borders of our state," Renjun points out and his hand hovers over old, fading red dots marking the places where the bodies have turned up until now. He hates how he would probably do the gesture perfectly even with his eyes closed. And without a map.

"We have searched all the most likely places already though," Mark's voice sounds raised now, exhaustion shading the panic and guilt Renjun can still feel in it despite all the weeks. He has no idea where the latter emotion comes from and at this point, part of him just _doesn't care_.

As long as the older is willing to help his look for Donghyuck, not giving up on the younger just yet. Even if most of the others had.

"I know. It doesn't make sense," Renjun picks up the paper again, eyes the names of the towns and mountains until all of it makes no sense anymore. They have tried to make sense of it over and over again. Renjun has thought that, surely, there must be some method to this madness. Some patterns that the murderer is following.

Mark thinks that it's probably just random mixed with shit ton of luck. At this point, Renjun would be inclined to consider everything, even if someone told him their suspect was following unicorn's steps.

At this point, Renjun is willing to sell his soul to get an answer. He doesn't even need to know _who_ is responsible. He just needs to know _where the hell Donghyuck is_. He needs the younger alive.

"If only Jun would tell Chenle who they are suspecting," Renjun mumbles under his breath and Mark flinches at that.

"Has it ever crossed your mind that it might be me or you? I have a feeling I would be a high possibility on their list."

Renjun almost laughs.

"Like anyone would believe that," during the last weeks that Donghyuck has been missing Mark more often than not had someone over at their apartment. It's no secret to Renjun that the older has a hard time even sitting in the space that he usually shares with Donghyuck. He thinks he would go insane in his place too. "I'm a more believable suspect than you Mark."

At that, Mark gives him a small smile and Renjun tries to give one back.

"Do you think it is an inner job?"

"I don't want to believe it but..." Mark sighs, defeated. "Almost everyone who knew I would be out is in this building. The same goes for knowing where Donghyuck lives. This team," Mark gestures around the quiet room. "You guys are our closest friends."

"So on top of it being an inner job, you think it's someone from our team?"

Mark shakes his head.

"It could be anyone working at the station."

"I guess so," Renjun looks down at their map again. "I think I just prefer to think it's not anyone we know. The fact that we might be working with them even now and they are the ones who had done _that_ to both Jeno and Donghyuck. It's too much."

"None of us want it," Mark turns to look at him properly. Renjun traces the older's form and wonders if he would be able to survive if Mark was the one behind all this. He doesn't think that's possible but—

You can never be too sure.

"How about we end it for today?" He asks and gives Mark a weak smile. "I don't think we can come up with anything else tonight and we need to be back in the morning."

"Yeah," Mark nods and gets up slowly. "Yeah."

Renjun throws the room one last look over the shoulder before locking the door.

It's too dark in there. Maybe Renjun really should start dragging Mark out of there early and not at 1 a.m.

🥀🥀🥀

The world without Donghyuck is dull. The light outside Renjun's window is not enough to chase away the lurking shadows of the night.

One arm on the windowsill, fingers tapping a feverish rhythm of one of the annoying songs that Donghyuck likes to play in the car.

Likes not _liked_ , because while most of the people in town have given up hope, Renjun lingers.

He _will_ get to the bottom of this. For Donghyuck.

His chest sizes around the words, feelings threatening to get out of hand and spill in the form of tears or maybe screaming or maybe laughing. It's hard to tell.

A phone rings somewhere in the room and Renjun throws it a deadly look expecting to see one of his other coworkers names on the screen.

But no, it's not Jeno nor Jaemin or even Chenle or Jisung. The number isn't one he has memorized and Renjun tries to make sense of the name on the screen.

Sicheng. His cousin which, as far as Renjun knows, has been silent for good 3 years now.

He crosses the darkroom, walls pressing down on him, trapping him in the terrors his own mind creates and so the words that break the silence when he finally answers the call might not even be real.

"So I have this garden," Sicheng starts and Renjun breaks apart.

🥀🥀🥀

"I got a tip," Renjun breaths into his phone as soon as he hears a crack signaling that Mark has picked up the call. He closes his eyes for a moment as he struggles to find car keys in the pockets of his jeans. His hands are shaking.

"A tip?" Mark asks, his voice unfocused, light. Renjun's brain registers it's not a good time to call the older but he can't help sighing impatiently. "What—"

Mark falls silent and then takes a deep breath. The line cracks again and for a moment Renjun fears that his friend has simply hung up. Or dropped his phone, that sounds plausible too with the way his own hands have trouble keeping his own device to his ear.

"I don't know if it's him yet," Renjun explains as he finally opens the car doors with a huff. He doesn't want to give Mark false hope. As much as he hopes to find Donghyuck there, he has to keep in mind that the younger might not be there at all. Or he might be dead. That's also a big possibility. "But my cousin told me something interesting. He has this big ass flower fields. All fancy flowers and hundreds of them too. And he called me maybe 10 minutes ago to tell me that while he has been on holiday visiting our family in China someone has decided to use his property."

Renjun pauses for a moment both to let the words set in and for Mark to start forming his own opinions and coming to his own conclusions, and to start his car.

"He found tire marks on one of the two parking lots. Sicheng said he didn't even go inside and instead called me because he heard that we have a 'flower murderer' on our hands. I told him the nickname is ridiculous."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Mark says in a strained voice and Renjun can't help but nod. He can't focus properly on what's happening, his mind too tangled up in a possibility that Donghyuck might be there too worry about what he should do as a police officer. "Ah, _fuck it_ , send me the address and I'll be there in 5 minutes."

Renjun looks down at the notebook which he has set down on the seat next to him. The handwriting on the page that carry the address is wobbly and barely readable.

"More like 40 minutes," he answers but Mark doesn't pay much attention to him anymore. "I'll call the others in too."

"5 minutes," Mark's tone is hard and it sounds almost furious as Renjun presses the 'end the call' button.

There's nothing else between him and his cousin's garden but the road and cold air. So much and so little between him and, hopefully, Donghyuck.

🥀🥀🥀

The area around the lonely house is empty.

Mark has checked it about a hundred times already, according to the older words. Renjun isn't sure how did he get here so fast and a part of him, that awful whisper he knows too well now, asks him if he really is trusting Mark with this.

This could be a trap. Or a dead lead. Or maybe something else entirely. Renjun no longer knows what games their murderer is playing now that Soonyoung team is the one in charge.

"Let's do one more round around it," he says and Mark just nods at him without questions. "We don't know if they will be back or not."

"Your cousin probably scared them away," Mark says. "If they even know about that. I guess there's also a possibility of Donghyuck being already gone even if this _is_ the right place."

Renjun swallows painfully. He doesn't want to think about Donghyuck slipping through his fingers again.

"Sicheng left?" He asks instead. He hasn't seen his cousin's car on his way here."

"I thought it would be safer for him. I also called for Chenle and the rest. I only couldn't reach Jeno. Myungsoo knows too," Mark looks almost apologetic but Renjun knows they had to tell their boss. They would need back up and to collect evidence if it turned out Donghyuck really is here. "How long has your cousin been out of the country?"

"About a year now. He has professional gardeners to take care of the flower fields, he is a seller after all, but this house stands empty most of the time anyway. He has another one in town."

"Why have we never checked it?" Mark's brows furrow as they finish their round and stop outside the door, guns at the ready. "It's a perfect location."

Renjun remembers vaguely talking with one of his cousin's gardeners.

"We talked to his people. I think they simply didn't raise suspicion. It's also far enough out of the town not to check. I have no idea how they managed to get through the security system. And not alarm anyone for weeks."

"A professional," Mark whispers and Renjun can't disagree. "Ready?"

"As ready as I can be," Renjun answers and starts counting.

As he reaches zero Mark uses the key Sicheng has lent him while Renjun aims at the place where the attacker is most likely to appear when the door opens.

"It's the police!" He shouts into the darkness but right off the bat it's pretty clear that there's no real threat.

He lowers his gun a little and shots Mark a look.

"I'll take downstairs you go up," he orders and Mark simply complies. Renjun winces at how naturally it comes now, being the leader for weeks now in Donghyuck's place. He can't wait to return the responsibility to its rightful owner.

There's not much too see in the house. Just as Sicheng has said, it looks mostly vacant but Renjun stays on high alert as he opens doors to every room with painfully loudly beating heart.

There's no trace of Donghyuck or anyone else until Renjun opens the kitchen door.

Before he sees anything alarming the hairs at the back of his neck rise and he itches to scratch that spot but instead he turns around fast, gun at the ready.

The doorframe is empty, Mark still upstairs.

He returns his attention to the room he is in. There is dust everywhere but there's also something wrong with the room.

It takes Renjun a hot second to pick up on the low hum if the fridge. The sound is a part of normal day to day life so its hard to try telling it apart but once Renjun does he pauses in his tracks.

This house has been empty for a year now, surely Sicheng would have turned it off.

He looks to the corner in which the fridge stands and looks at it. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Apart from the fact that there are leftovers in it and they don't look like they are one year old. There's also a post-it note dated two days ago with a note saying 'call the higher-ups on the 26th' on the fridge door.

"That's tomorrow," Renjun whispers to himself.

"Mark!" His voice rings in the silence and he winces at how loud it sounds. There is no answer and he curses Sicheng's expensive taste. The doors and walls are probably as good as bulletproof here. Which, in retrospect, should have alarmed him a lot more than it had.

In seconds Renjun is back in the hallway inspecting the two doors that he hadn't yet checked.

His palms start to sweat.

The room behind the first door is empty apart from the furniture covered with a layer of dust and protective foil just like all the others Renjun has checked. It makes his shoulders relax a little and when he finally finds himself face to face with the last room he thinks he is read.

He thinks he is ready for whatever nightmare he can find inside. And the disappointment that would come if the room was once again empty.

Renjun imminently knows something is wrong even before he spots the unmoving figure on the floor.

It's too dark in there. The windows are covered with black curtains or maybe it's something else, it's hard to tell in the darkness.

"Hello?" Renjun's voice breaks a little at the end because this is his last hope. Mark has been awfully quiet upstairs and Renjun has a feeling he would be screaming if something big happened. "Donghyuck?"

"...Injun?"

Renjun feels his knees give out under him but he stays where he is, frozen in place.

"Donghyuck," he whispers and his brain supplies him with endless memories of the younger's face. He feels tears at the corners of his eyes.

"He will die for this," Donghyuck murmurs, eyes closed.

Renjun looks around, the flashlight shaking badly in his hand, the ray of brightness flying around without aim.

"Donghyuck?" He asks in a hushed voice. Despite knowing it's safe and the place is deserted, Renjun doesn't want to take any chances now that Donghyuck is within his reach. "What is that?"

The younger boy lifts his head and in the darkness still surrounding them Renjun can barely make out where his eyes are.

"That's the last thing he said to me before disappearing. I didn't want to forget."

Renjun pauses. His breath is still shaky.

Two days. If the note on the fridge was really written the last time the murderer visited like Renjun thinks then that's how long ago Donghyuck's kidnapper left. Two days without food or water. How close to death his best friend got, not even directly by that monster's hands?

There are no hands around Donghyuck's throat but as his body shook a little with the effort to stay upright Renjun sees how hard the fight for strength and sanity is for the younger.

He tightens his grip on the flashlight and the bright light finally lands on Donghyuck.

And the room around him.

Renjun closes his eyes, not wanting to see. But it's too late.

The blueness of forget-me-nots surrounding Donghyuck forever imprinted in his brain.

🥀🥀🥀

Renjun comes home alone.

After freeing Donghyuck from too-tight ties that will probably leave bruises, if not permanent marks, on his wrists and ankles, Renjun and Mark wait for back up to arrive.

Jeno and Chenle take Donghyuck to their car without as much as a word but both of their eyes shine with emotions.

Renjun briefly wonders why the hell the two of them arrived together if it's Jaemin who is Jeno's partner but he lets it go.

Now, back in his apartment, Renjun can't sit in one place. He goes around the apartment and tries to piece together everything that has happened. With or without luck they should have more than enough evidence to frame whoever is responsible.

Renjun feels restless not knowing what's happening in the investigation now more than ever. Even with all the information he can't help but frown. How did Soonyoung's team track it back to one specific person? And would they be arrested now that Donghyuck is back?

Renjun stops in the middle of the living room.

Will there be one less familiar face at the station tomorrow?

" _No_ , this can't be it."

He thinks back to Donghyuck's still form between all the blue of forget-me-nots. Renjun hopes the younger is being treated at the hospital right now.

Chenle has called him about four hours ago to report that he and Jeno are waiting outside the doctor's office and are about to go inside and ask if Donghyuck would be able to come home soon. He hasn't heard from them since.

He tries not to worry. Donghyuck probably needs a few tests done before he can be let out and Jaemin might need to document his injuries too.

The sun is rising and painting the dull space of Renjun's apartment in reds and pinks when the door finally opens to reveal a tired but smiling Donghyuck on the other side.

"Donghyuck?" Renjun doesn't even try to hide the relief that overcomes him at that moment. "Who dropped you here instead of your apartment? Should I call for Mark or—"

"No, I told them I wanted to stay here," Donghyuck's words echo in Renjun's brain and he still can't believe the other is really here, safe. All it would take to touch his would be to reach out but Renjun doesn't do it and instead just stares.

"Mark will be furious," Renjun says halfheartedly. He knows the older must probably be too stressed and too happy at the same time but he will never be mad at Donghyuck for choosing Renjun for once.

"I already texted him. Who knew Mark could be so sweet."

' _You weren't there for the past few weeks._ '

"You will be surprised. Once you get back he won't let you leave for a week," that makes Donghyuck smile a little but it still doesn't reach his eyes.

"Well, good thing I'm staying here for a few days then. Myungsoo gave me tomorrow off so I guess I can sleep all I like."

Renjun shivers at the words. He doesn't know how to tell the younger what the boss that he has always been in good relations has done to this investigation.

"Only tomorrow?"

Donghyuck laughs.

"He offered me even a month but I _would_ go insane," Donghyuck grabs the hem of his worn-out t-shirt and picks at the loose ends. "Besides...I think the best way for me to get over it will be to work. We still need to catch that bastard."

Renjun's palms curl into fists. His whole life has been a mess for so long now that he hasn't really looked at himself. What would help _him_ get over it all?

He reaches out for Donghyuck and the younger makes a small move in his direction.

"I—" Renjun starts but he realizes he can't promise Donghyuck that. He can't say they will be the one to catch the bastard or if anyone will. "Don't know Donghyuck."

"But I do," Donghyuck turns his head so that they are on the same level and when their eyes meet Renjun can see some of the old fire burning inside Donghyuck's pupils. "There are many things that I've seen for the past few weeks and I believe we need to catch him."

This is the first time anyone has used any pronouns for their murderer but Donghyuck is the only person who has really came in contact with them. _Him_.

"We will," Renjun doesn't think he has any anger left in him but his words are colored with it and he moves closer to Donghyuck. "And Donghyuck—"

"I know," the younger gives him a small smile. "I know Injun. For tonight...Can I sleep in your bed?"

Renjun nods. He would have given Donghyuck anything if he asked.

🥀🥀🥀

"How is he?" It is the question that greets him wherever he goes to at the station.

Half of the officers are not even here but in the hour that he has been here Renjun has answered about five thousand questions already. So when Mark asks him Renjun is tempted to just shrug and go lay on the ground.

But Mark looks so hopeful and Renjun can't really do anything cruel to the older.

"He is fine. Had trouble falling asleep but that's all."

"If he is not back at our apartment by the end of the week I swear to god I'll kill you—"

"Threatening people at a police station? Brave move," Chenle laughs at them as he passes by, a cup of steaming coffee in hand. Renjun has no idea why the younger is even here after a sleepless night but he is not about to send him away when he is in such a good mood. Renjun haven't seen him this happy in weeks.

"Don't worry guys, Donghyuck _is_ coming back where he belongs in a few days," Renjun tries for a lighter tone and it seems to work because Mark gives him a small smile.

"How are you sure he isn't there already?" Chenle counters and before Renjun can give him a murderous look he remembers the conversation they had what feels like an eternity ago.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mark asks and Chenle grabs his arm. "Hey!"

"Come on, we have a job to do," and with that, they are gone.

Renjun looks after them for a moment before setting down to start his day, for the first time in forever without a constant headache and too much stress to focus.

He looks at his notes, all the papers Myungsoo deemed innocent enough to hand over to them because, apparently, the current situation is too much to handle for Soonyoung's team after all.

He shots Donghyuck a text to make sure the younger is doing fine but all he gets in reply is a winking face.

It takes only a second for his smile to disappear and be replaced with fear again.

"Renjun!" Jaemin opens the door with a loud thud and half of the officers turn to the newcomer with sharp eyes ready for another bad news. The alarms are ringing in his ears, this can't be anything good, not with Jaemin's scared expression. They all know that getting Donghyuck back isn't the end of this story, there is still the same question they have been battling with before.

 _Who_.

"Jeno!" Jaemin exclaims and it's enough for Mark to shoot from his place and be at Jaemin's side in seconds. There are many things going through Renjun's head at this moment. A thousand and one scenarios of how this interaction could go. "He has been arrested."

Renjun has lost count of how many times he has felt like the ground wasn't stable enough to stand on in the past weeks.

"This," Mark starts, and then his eyes open wider and he sends Renjun a horrified look. "Can't be."

"Please," Jaemin turns his attention first to Renjun and then he locates Chenle who is also frozen in place, the cup in his hand tilting dangerously. "I don't _know_ what's happening."

Chenle looks at the edge of tears and Renjun wonders just how close Jeno is too him. He has seen the two of them interact but the younger's reaction is almost as bad as Jaemin's and to Renjun, it speaks volumes.

"I don't know Jaemin but I can promise you that I'll do whatever it takes to get us all out of this," he knows he probably shouldn't promise things that are at the end of the day are out of his control but the spark of hope in Jaemin's eyes is worth it.

Mark looks at him like he believes his words too and all Renjun can do is straighten his back. With Donghyuck safe back at his apartment, probably sleeping it all off but soon enough sure to come back to the office, it's time to turn his attention to one of his other friends who needs help.

"I'll tear the world to the ground," he says and Mark gives him another bewildered look. He probably recognizes the words.

"What are you—" Jaemin asks but Renjun cuts him off.

There's a small voice in his head that asks him all the uncomfortable questions because what if Jeno _is_ their guy? Renjun pushes them away and shakes his head.

They have almost no information about what really is happening right now and he is not willing to risk a possible wrongful conviction. There's only one way to solve this.

"Let's go talk to Myungsoo."

🥀🥀🥀

"Let me question him," Renjun's voice is still calm at this point but he can feel it getting smaller by the second. If Donghyuck was with him right now he would throw him a worried glance. His partner always knows his emotions best.

If Myungsoo knew what's good for him, he would let it go.

"This isn't your case."

"I'm the one who found him," Renjun points out. He observes Myungsoo's Adam's apple as he swallows. How easy it would be to just reach out and—

"I thought I made myself clear already. You and Mark have directly disobeyed my orders. You have also failed to name Jeno as a suspect and report his unusual actions to Soonyoung's team. I could fire you for that."

It's at this exact moment that Renjun realizes this is what Myungsoo _wants_. No matter if Jeno really is guilty or not he is willing to frame him to get the case closed. He is willing to fire both him and Mark if they try to stop him.

He was even willing to sacrifice Donghyuck.

"How long ago have you decided that Jeno will be the one guilty?" He asks in a low voice and when Mark tries to reach for his shoulder he moves away. "Was it before or after Doyoung's murder?"

Mark takes a step back, eyes wide.

Myungsoo still looks unbothered.

"I'm not the villain you are trying to make me out to be. We have evidence pointing to Jeno. We also have Donghyuck's testimony to back it up."

Renjun freezes. Myungsoo smirks at his expression.

"You took Donghyuck's testimony the same day we got him back?" He asks through gritted teeth. He can feel Mark's aura turning dark and ugly behind him too. "Behind our back?"

"You questioned him when he was _starved_?" Mark's words no longer sound human and Renjun knows that Myungsoo will get what he wants. There's no turning back and when Myungsoo just shrugs both of them break.

" _I'll kill you_ ," Mark threatens.

Renjun counts to ten and prays to God that Chenlr still has favors to claim from the security guard. He can't have Myungsoo fire both him and Mark for this. He hopes that erasing video evidence will be enough to keep them both here.

"You _will_ let us question Jeno."

"Or what?" Myungsoo looks at him like he is prey but Renjun refuses to be the victim of his sick games.

"Or I'll help Mark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER CHAPTER BITES THE DUST
> 
> thank you for reading guys<3 the next one IS the last one I promise so...tell me your guesses:3


	4. Act IV: Carnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After three acts it's time for a grand finale.
> 
> Renjun just hopes they will make it out alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo once more!! it's finally the last chapter ;u;
> 
> first of all, I'm SO SORRY that this is like 10 years late but to be honest I had 0 motivation and was to scared to end it lol. but anyway here it is anyway and i hope it's not ~terrible~ haha
> 
> secondly, thank you to everyone who left comments on the other chapters, i see you all and I'm so thankful<3
> 
> special thanks to berry, val and raina who have been there the whole ride. i just love you guys.
> 
> lastly, to my characters...parting with this one is both hard because i really love this universe and murder mysteries but also easy because I've been stressed over this story for far too long.
> 
> anyway, enjoy~

"Donghyuck?" Renjun calls into the darkness of his apartment. "Hey, I'm home."

"I'm in the kitchen!" Comes the muffled answer.

Renjun squints in the darkness of the corridor and sure enough, there's a faint yellow glow coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Renjun has partly expected Donghyuck to be still laying in bed, maybe too scared to leave the safety of Renjun's room. He isn't sure if Donghyuck being well enough to run around makes things easier or not.

Renjun counted on his brain coming up with a solution to all his problems on the way home but it clearly didn't work. He still has no idea how to talk to Donghyuck now.

The interview with Jeno brought more questions than answers.

"Smells heavenly, what are you doing?" Renjun's heart skips painfully in his chest at the sign of Donghyuck in the middle of his kitchen. The younger looks so alive with his animated gestures and sharp gaze normally reserved for criminals traced on the food. His deep brown hair shines under the yellow light and the reds of the sunset outside the window.

"It's just pancakes," Donghyuck turns to him, and at the moment their eyes meet Renjun feels another wave of emotions. Donghyuck's gaze is hard and the older wonders just how much is visible in his own eyes. "The fridge was almost empty. What have you been eating Renjun?"

"You shouldn't worry about me," He answers and he knows it's a mistake as soon as the words leave his mouth.

If Donghyuck's gaze was hard before now it looks like it could cut glass and it's directed at Renjun.

"What's wrong? I can tell something is eating you up."

There's nowhere Renjun can run away from that question. It's not like he can lie to Donghyuck, it wouldn't help anyone.

He settles on one of the black chairs next to the dining table and waits for his partner to join him.

The pancakes Donghyuck sets before them look delicious and Renjun's stomach rumbles loudly. Donghyuck gives him a satisfied smirk.

"Tell or no eating," the younger says, and when Renjun tries to protest Donghyuck grabs the plate and moves it out of Renjun's reach. In the other hand he is holding chocolate syrup and a box full of blueberries. Their favorite toppings.

"I'll get the whipped cream," Renjun gets up. He can feel Donghyuck's eyes on his back the whole time he rummages through the cupboards in search of the last ingredient needed to make their dinner perfect.

"Renjun."

" _I know_ ," Renjun sighs as he settles back in his chair and pushes the whipped cream in Donghyuck's direction. The younger catches it mid-air and starts on their pancakes. Donghyuck lets him decide how to play out this conversation and normally Renjun would be glad except, he doesn't know what to say. "They arrested Jeno today."

No reaction.

"You knew this?"

"No," Donghyuck hands Renjun a plate. "But I could tell from the way Myungsoo was formulating his question that he was on their radar."

"Did they tell you what they have on him?" Renjun asks and leans in. He can't help the excitement slipping into his voice. If there's even a slim chance that Donghyuck _knows_ something then he needs to try. "Did you recognize the killer?"

Up close Renjun notices something that Donghyuck was able to mask so well but up close his disguise looks cracked, revealing what's underneath.

Maybe Donghyuck isn't as fine as Renjun has originally thought. The younger's gaze is still stone hard but there's fear underneath the cold.

"No. I could even be you and I wouldn't. They never showed me their face and talked to me only once before they left me for..." Donghyuck pauses and blinks. "For death. By this point I was ready to give up, I was hungry, I was—"

Renjun closes his eyes and squeezes them so hard that he sees colorful lights under his eyelids. Nothing can make Donghyuck's words hurt any less.

"Your case isn't ours anymore. I'm pretty sure you figured out its Soonyoung's now. I don't know what they have on Jeno. Even he doesn't know. I—" Renjun stops and looks Donghyuck in the eyes again but the younger doesn't look away. "I harassed Myungsoo. Mark helped. He had no choice but to let us question Jeno. The only thing I know that can be used again him is the fact that he was the first to pick up his phone when I was trying to alert others to what was happening but he was the last one to arrive."

There's a moment of silence. Renjun _knows_ how ridiculous it sounds. He can't believe any of it too.

"I won't let Jeno riot behind bars just because he was the first one to answer your calls in the middle of the night and cared enough about me to show up without asking questions," Donghyuck's face is frozen in anger, fists tight. Renjun thinks that this is his favorite Donghyuck; a fierce, brilliant mind ready to act. But most importantly this Donghyuck values the life of his friends more than his own sometimes. That bit is slightly frightening. "They all know too damn well Jeno is innocent."

"I think we do but…" Renjun thinks back to his endless nights with Mark, trying to figure out what was happening, what they have missed. He remembers the bags under his friend’s eyes as they came to the same conclusion over and over again. Renjun doesn't know how much he can share with Donghyuck yet. "There is a high possibility it is an inner job."

Donghyuck's face falls, the anger slipping away and leaving place for something else to creep in. Renjun wants to look away, desperately needs that look to vanish from his partner's face. He would take Donghyuck's anger over fear anytime.

"I guess someone really hates me that much, huh?" He tries to joke but it comes out strained and Renjun flinches.

"No one here hates you," Renjun's voice is hard now. He doesn't want to listen to Donghyuck putting himself down, especially now. How can the other boy say things like this, that he was targeted and almost murdered because he was annoying sometimes, is beyond Renjun's understanding. He knows Donghyuck has a way with words, concealing poisonous ones with laughter or a smile. A faked joke or a shrug. Renjun is a fool no more. "That fucker is just sick. Cut the bullshit Donghyuck and put that amazing brain of yours to use."

Donghyuck raises a curious eyebrow at him but doesn't protest and drops the topic, instead of focusing eyes on the food before him.

"Let's make sure that he can hurt no one else then."

Renjun nods and leans in close enough so that their noses almost touch. From this close, he can see the fire burning in Donghyuck's eyes again.

The feeling inside Renjun's chest is familiar by now. The warmth that spreads through him when he looks at his partner, his best friend, and Donghyuck stares back.

Renjun grabs it, willes it to stay, to grow, to make him strong enough to solve this.

He has a feeling they are almost at the end of this journey. And from the look in the younger's eyes, Donghyuck thinks so too.

🥀🥀🥀

Renjun doesn't know if it's him who invites Mark or if it's Donghyuck or maybe Mark himself decides to storm his apartment to make sure Donghyuck is okay, but somehow it ends up being the three of them eating breakfast in almost complete silence.

For the most part, Renjun observes Donghyuck, too tired of pretending not to care as much as he does. The younger returns his stares sometimes, eyebrows raised in question Renjun doesn't think needs an answer right now. Not with Mark here anyway.

The older nibbles at the last night's pancake silently, eyes empty, his thoughts completely elsewhere. Donghyuck notices it too.

"Hey Mark," he starts in a conversational tone. It makes the boy in question jump a little bit Mark's eyes aren't mad when he raises them to meet Donghyuck's. "I hope you had someone staying at your place while I was gone. We both know you can't sleep otherwise."

Renjun almost chokes at Donghyuck's boldness but apparently, the fact that he has recently been kidnapped gets him a free pass because Mark doesn't try to argue.

"Don't worry too much, there was always someone there with him," Renjun answers for Mark. The older seems so out of his element. Renjun stares at Mark's plate and then notices how in the rush of the morning he has only taken out the chocolate syrup to go with the pancakes. He knows Mark prefers the blueberries. "I'll get you the berries."

"I hope it was Yuta most of the time," Donghyuck says and Renjun's not sure at who the words are directed. "Tell me you two are already dating."

"We aren't," Mark finally says and Renjun can see the smile on Donghyuck's lips when he enters the kitchen again. He sighs as he sets the fruits before Mark but he can feel a smile tugging at the corners of his lips too. 

"Mhm," the mumble that escapes Donghyuck's mouth is impossible to decode and it makes both Renjun and Mark smile the faintest smile possible.

"Are you sure you want to come back already?" Mark's eyes are focused on his food instead of Donghyuck. Renjun can tell the older is getting ready to fish out all the hidden meanings behind his best friend's words, all the unspoken truths Donghyuck might be hiding. If there's anyone who can beat Donghyuck at this hide and seek game it is Mark. "And don't tell me you _have_ to, I'm not asking how many leave days you can take. I'm asking how you're feeling?"

Donghyuck laughs and it sounds bitter and choked. He rests his head on his hand and turns his face to Mark. The look in his eyes breaks Renjun's heart. Donghyuck must feel trapped in this situation, torn between what's right and what's best for him. In the end, Renjun can't even be angry at the next words that leave his mouth and neither can Mark.

"It doesn't matter for now. I must be fine so I'm going to be just that."

"You can't force it—" Mark voice gets cut off by Donghyuck's sharp "Watch me."

And so, they watch.

Renjun's gaze doesn't leave the younger at all for the first few hours they are at the office. He traces the familiar lines of Donghyuck jaw as the younger gives his coworkers a smile when they enter their department.

It takes mere seconds for Chenle to jump on Donghyuck and almost choke him. Jisung tries to drag his best friend away with million apologies on his lips but Donghyuck just laughs it off. It sounds only half faked.

It's good to see the younger happy with all of the others surrounding him with love and smiles on their faces. No one comments on the dark circles under his eyes or how much weight he has lost.

Renjun catches Mark staring too. The older is observing from the sidelines too, a smile playing on his lips like it's not sure if it should stay or not. He is clearly still worried.

The moment is touching for sure and he feels happy for Donghyuck but it's hard to ignore how the smile on Jaemin's face is just a little bit dimmed and the light in Chenle's eyes is not as bright as always. It's impossible to miss the empty space at Donghyuck's side where Jeno is supposed to be.

It's also impossible to miss the fact that there's a possibility Donghyuck is smiling down at his own abuser right this second.

It makes Renjun feel sick. It makes him look away and sneak out to his desk.

It's probably the same thought that drives Donghyuck to finally abandon the rest of his friends and join him at his side.

He slips next to Renjun so quietly the older doesn't even notice it until he feels the familiar warmth next to him and hears familiar breathing close enough to make his heart pick up speed.

"Donghyuck," his voice sounds breathless like he has just run a marathon. He can't help the way his body reacts when the younger is near.

The younger doesn't answer but he moves away, allowing Renjun to breathe more easily and taking the comforting warmth with him.

Only then does the older notice the object in Donghyuck's hand.

The flower looks insignificant, it's even less impressive than most of the others they have seen but somehow Renjun can't tear his gaze away from the blue petals. Unlike the others, this one is just one of many, not a single lead left behind for them to antagonize over.

This time, they will find a way to finally put an end to the madness.

“Forget-me-nots,” Donghyuck turns the fragile flower in his fingers without much care for its blue petals. The sharpness is back in his gaze and Renjun feels less on edge even if the killer is still free. It’s selfish and wrong, especially for a police officer, to feel relieved right now. “He doesn’t want me to forget it Renjun. What does it mean that he doesn’t want me to forget?”

“That he is a psychopath?” Renjun asks cautiously and Donghyuck shakes his head firmly, gaze already on the board behind them.

In the hassle of the last few days, Renjun has forgotten to bring down the frantic notes that he has pinned down after Donghyuck’s disappearance. Jeno and Jaemin’s observations are neat, pinned at all of the right places.

“No, that’s not it,” Donghyuck’s eyes scan the mess of photos and words carefully. “We must have missed something.”

“I _know_ that,” he says in frustration. It’s been _weeks_ since the last body and he dreads the moment they will get another phone call with yet another body on Jeno’s table. Renjun tries not to think how this time it won't be Jeno taking care of it.

"Why did I even become a target?" Donghyuck asks and scrambles for a pen and a clean sheet of paper.

"Because the murderer wanted you dead?" Renjun asks but then he gets what Donghyuck means. It still makes no sense to him. "Well, maybe he just hates you and wanted you traumatized?"

Donghyuck laughs shortly but it doesn't sound happy, just bitter.

"Wouldn't blame him, but no," the younger scribes something in a rush and then passes the note to Renjun, smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips. "He hasn't been careless before. This wasn't simply a failed attack or a slip-up."

' _How are you so sure?_ Renjun wants to ask but then his eyes fall on the almost unreadable letters that Donghyuck has scribbled across the white paper.

 _Forget-me-nots don't hold a negative meaning,_ the note reads.

Renjun's gaze snaps up, his mind searching for all the lost meanings.

"Whoever it was, didn't mean to kill you," Renjun states the obvious, the words losing shape under his sweaty palms.

Renjun knew there was something different about this case than the others with the way they have found Donghyuck. It could have been pure luck but what if... What if it wasn't?

"He has been sloppy with Doyoung before," he says, his voice trembling from all the emotions he is trying to tame. His hand itches for a pen and a piece of paper. He tries to stay calm he really does. "At first we thought it might be because of close connection to the culprit and that narrative fits Jeno but what if..."

Donghyuck gently reaches and puts the pen he has just used in Renjun's outstretched fingers. He gestures at the piece of paper still clutched in his other hand.

' _What if Myungsoo is right? We need to investigate all the evidence they have on Jeno and see where they lead us._ '

Donghyuck looks down at the note and then his gaze travels up to meet Renjun's again. Deep down, under all the determination and bravery Renjun can see the fear in them. If this was any other time he would blame it on the things Donghyuck went through recently but now he wonders. Is it entirely it? Or is it normal to be scared and Donghyuck isn't as unbreakable as he always thought him to be.

Because Renjun himself is scared for sure.

"I think we are both thinking the same thing," Donghyuck's eyes are alert and he doesn't even try to hide the fear anymore.

"Don't say it," Renjun whispers. Part of him hopes that if none of them voice it out loud then it won't become true.

He doesn't want to believe they have been set up and how well it has worked. But no more.

"One can be a coincidence, two is impossible in my book," Renjun stares at Donghyuck, the sense of dread slowly overcoming his limbs, paralyzing them and making it hard to move. " _It has to be_ —"

'—Someone from here.'

Renjun doesn't finish out loud but the look in Donghyuck eyes tells him everything.

Everyone outside their little bubble is a suspect now, they can't trust anyone. They both know it.

Donghyuck probably shouldn't trust him too.

At that moment, Renjun doesn't trust himself either.

🥀🥀🥀

Armed with new knowledge and after hours of quiet stares and furrowed brows Renjun gives up on trying to convince Donghyuck to keep what they have come to as few people as possible.

"Mark is my _best friend_ Injun. I'm not crossing him out because if I do, what is stopping me from crossing you out too?"

Renjun tries to transform his hurt into resolve because he knows it's the truth. No matter what feelings are between him and Donghyuck, no matter the sparks that ignite under his skin each time they touch, this is about trust.

And if Donghyuck can't trust Mark, he can't trust anyone.

"I don't believe it's him either, you know it," he says, tension keeping his shoulders straight even if all he wants to do is sink against the wall. "I'm just lost."

The look Donghyuck gives him is one of worry and for a moment their roles are switched as if it's Renjun who went through all those horrible things, not the younger. But then he blinks and his vision cleans leaving him with nothing but reality.

Not just one broken boy as he wanted to believe for so long but two.

And soon enough there's another one joining them, bringing the number up to three.

Mark looks tired but he tries to him them a smile anyway and to lighten up the clearly heavy mood he tells them about a date Yuta asked him on.

A legit date, not just some hangout that the younger was too obvious to count as one.

Renjun thinks of it as a small victory, a flower rising from the concrete of the unbearable situation they are in. Though maybe a flower isn't the best metaphor right now.

It makes Donghyuck smile for a short moment too, the three of them sharing a minute of total obliviousness.

But then reality hits them yet again and Renjun sees just how broken they are, each of them crumbling apart into different shaped pieces that might or might not fit back together.

"So," Mark says and tries his best to fake a smile but on his normally earnests face, it looks more like a grimace than anything else.

"I—" Donghyuck's eyes escape his best friend's lock and run around the room until they settle on one of the corners. "I don't remember that much."

"Donghyuck—" Renjun cuts him off because it's clear how much the younger struggles with his words. Why are they even trying to force him to speak about things that are clearly better left unsaid? "I don't think this is a good idea. Right, Mark?"

The boy in question bites down on his lips but Renjun can see how bad he feels about this.

"We don't have to do it. We _will_ find another way—"

" _We won't_ ," Donghyuck shakes his head and forces himself to look at Mark again. "I don't remember much from the kidnapping. I was in our apartment and the next thing I know I was in a car. Before you both ask, it _could_ be one of our own cars but I can't tell. I scratched it a little but I don't think that's gonna help."

Renjun nods and notes the details down anyway. If they could get a hold of all the cars used by the officers they might find something. Of course, the killer might have not used their work car. In fact, that would be very stupid of them. But there are still people at the station who only have the shared with your partner cars like Jeno.

Jeno.

Renjun furrows his brows.

"From the house, I remember even less, just the smell of the forget-me-nots and the hunger. I don't want to remember that," Donghyuck says the last few words quietly and his head involuntary turns to Renjun as if asking for help. The younger's eyes look so lost for a moment that Renjun wants nothing more than hug him and forget about this madness.

"You don't have to tell us," he says softly and it seems to calm Donghyuck. He nods slightly and stands up.

From the back, Renjun can see Mark, a hopeless expression on his face and tears that the older probably is trying very hard to hold in slowly breaking free.

"There must be something," Donghyuck shakes his head as if trying to forcefully sort his thoughts out. "The words 'He will die for this'. Why are they important? _Who_ were they talking about if not me?"

"Wasn't it the last thing he told you before disappearing for a few days?" Renjun asks and his own words trigger a memory. He can see back to the kitchen of Sicheng's house. There's a lot of useless crap there but amongst the mess is the little note he has found. The '26th' clearly visible in his memory.

"Wait," he says and his voice sounds serious enough for both Mark and Donghyuck to look at him with fear in their eyes. "In the house, there was a post-it note talking about the 26th and calling some higher-ups."

Mark's eyes darken as he tilts his head in his typical gesture meaning the older is deep in thought.

Donghyuck stills for a moment and then his eyes gain back a little bit of that fire he usually has when coming up with a theory. Renjun loves the look on his face. It's no longer one of defeat although he knows it's still gonna take a long time before Donghyuck will be completely fine no matter what the younger says.

"The 26th was yesterday. Which means our killer wanted to call someone higher up the day after we found you. If we think it _is_ someone from our department then this means they were gonna call police on themselves," Renjun tries to calculate how it all might fit back together. With the way Donghyuck has spoken about the forget-me-nots, it's pretty clear he believes the killer didn't mean to kill this time. Torture and absolutely destroy? Yes, but not kill. Was it simply a case of being too close to the target, Donghyuck's smiles and teasing making it harder to think of him as anything other than a friend or something else? "Did they plan on not killing you from the start?" Renjun asks and both Donghyuck and Mark look at him in confusion.

Then, Donghyuck's gaze cleans up.

"You are thinking about the flowers, aren't you? I told you they would play the biggest role," he forces a smile and it looks only a little bit fake. Another piece of old Donghyuck who even in a situation like this would never give up bragging about his skills. "One would think it probably changed during the time I was kidnapped but… The note made me change my thinking."

Renjun raises his eyebrows. Maybe there is a route that should have been obvious from the beginning, something so easy to understand yet so hard to accept considering how close all of them are connected to everyone in this case.

"Are you suggesting you were always meant to be a false lead?"

"A piece of meat thrown to the wolves to sway their attention from the real commotion," Donghyuck smiles lightly as if it's not his life they are talking about there.

"You were meant to be there to prove Myungsoo's theory about Jeno true. Maybe even Doyoung was part of the plan," Mark's voice is quiet and it's clear the older is still trying to piece it together in hope that the solution will just reveal itself without any further questioning. "The point is, I think Jeno is being set up. All the little details? It makes sense."

"The devil is in the details," Donghyuck whispers, and his eyes light up like a night sky. "I'll talk to Myungsoo tomorrow."

Renjun doesn't like the implications of it especially remembering the way his last meeting with their boss ended.

This is Donghyuck and Myungsoo might have a soft spot for the younger but Renjun still remembers the feeling in his gut when he realized the older was ready to take the case away from them even if it meant losing all hope of finding Donghyuck. He might never forgive him for it but there's truth in Donghyuck's words. It might be impossible to untangle this mess without help from someone who knows more details, more pieces of this twisted puzzle.

"This might work," Renjun isn't too happy to agree but they are out of options. "But you need to go, he will fire me and Mark if we as much as breathe near him."

Donghyuck snorts but nods, understanding.

"Are you going to ask him what they have on Jeno?" Mark asks and he is probably thinking about the same thing Renjun is. How much more would Donghyuck be able to get out of their boss?

"Ah, no way. I already know they only have circumstantial evidence. However, I simply can not accept there being nothing to discover. There must be evidence to frame Jeno otherwise our murderer would be the stupidest person on Earth and they aren't."

It's hard not to nod your head at Donghyuck's words but even if there _is_ something Soonyoung's team is missing out they won't let them in to look.

"What's your plan then?"

"Oh," a smirk creeps on Donghyuck's lips and Renjun has a feeling he isn't going to like what the younger is about to say. "I'm going to talk to Jeno."

🥀🥀🥀

Turning in for work the next day feels like sitting on a ticking bomb except Renjun has no idea where it is or how long he has before his world shatters to pieces again.

Probably not very long judging from the way Donghyuck goes about his morning routine.

He can see, eyes glued to the familiar figure, the small details that tell him just how stressed Donghyuck is even if the younger tries to hide it.

He can hear the distrust that Donghyuck tries to fight as he greets Chenle next to the coffee machine and in his quick 'hello' to Yangyang and Hendery who pass him on the way to their desks.

The only person who Donghyuck looks at with something like gratitude in his eyes is Mark.

Renjun shifts in his chair, the tension in his shoulders unbearable. It's so hard to just sit there and watch as Donghyuck falls apart while he faces their coworkers.

"Oh, fuck it," he finally mumbles and stands up, heart pounding loudly in his ears.

He doesn't want to think through the words that press on his tongue, begging to be released.

Somehow, he knows there's only one thing he can do right now. Or maybe it's just that he has been waiting for long, far too long and now at this moment when everything feels like it's about to explode and collapse, there's only one thing he wants to say to Donghyuck.

Either way, he takes the few steps that separate him from the younger hurriedly before he can change his mind and go back to being a coward forever.

"A date if we manage to catch the fucker by the end of the week," Renjun says a little breathlessly.

Donghyuck stares at him in shock.

"Are you asking me out Renjun?" He asks, his voice a little bit shaky. It sounds nothing like the old Donghyuck that Renjun has made so many bets with.

"And what if I am?" Renjun can feel his voice deflect a little at the end, the adrenaline rush he felt slowly receding and leaving him with sweaty palms and fear in his heart.

Donghyuck's expression is hard to read at first but then Renjun manages to decode the spark in the younger's eyes.

It looks like hope.

"Then I say, why wait?" a few heads turn in their direction, and Renjun catches sight of Chenle's surprised expression. Mark gives him a short nod and a small smile. "Who knows what will happen if you wait."

The implication Donghyuck's words carry doesn't escape Renjun's attention but for once the older lets it slide, too stunned by the realization that Donghyuck has basically accepted his confession.

"I thought it would be a good motivation," he answers and it seems like it's the correct thing to say because Donghyuck laughs. It's short and sharp but a laugh nonetheless. "Besides, aren't bets our thing?"

"A date if we survive today," Donghyuck says instead, and Renjun's breath hitches.

"Bet."

🥀🥀🥀

At first, simply surviving seems like a relatively easy task, the office uncharacteristically quiet.

To Renjun, it looks like they have finally reached the middle of the hurricane, that one place where for just a moment everything is perfectly still and calm.

Before it all breaks into pieces and comes apart like a house of cards.

Renjun expects a soft blow to ruin the peace like Donghyuck finally being called to Myungsoo's office or maybe Jun dropping by to update them on his team's work.

Once again, Renjun is so, so wrong.

"It looks like we got the right guy," are the first words that leave Mingyu's mouth upon arriving.

The poisonous meaning behind them slips through the cracks of Renjun's consciousness and for a moment he wonders if maybe they have terribly miscalculated.

Then, his brain catches up to what's happening and the true meaning behind Donghyuck's alarmed expression dawns on him.

They weren't fast enough.

The evidence must have been found before they had a chance to intervene.

"We found a piece of tape in Jeno's car. There were also scratches on the backseat and before you ask, yes we tested it and it is a match."

"Who found it?" Renjun yells before his voice can get stuck in his throat. He searches for Donghyuck and Mark desperately but all he sees is Chenle's surprised expression and Jisung's wide eyes. He hates it, hates the way he can't look at his friends without being suspicious. Even if Chenle has done everything in his power when they needed to find Donghyuck, risking his job and using family connections to help. Even if Jisung is just the sweetest person on their team.

None of it matters now when they are thrown into yet another situation Renjun has no answer to.

"It was one of yours, Renjun," Mingyu waves a file full of papers at him, no smile on his lips. "I can't believe it, honestly. And to think…"

Renjun dares the older to finish that sentence with a glare. Mingyu has enough decency to look away.

 _Who_ , Renjun wants to ask but Mingyu storms out of the room, and Donghyuck follows the older, steps fast and steady.

He leaves all of them in the dust.

"It can't be Jeno," comes Chenle's shaken voice.

Renjun turns to the younger and scans his face. He finds fear there, so raw and deep he has to look away. It reminds him a little bit of the emotions he felt when Donghyuck was being held captive except there's something else present in Chenle's eyes.

Something Renjun tries to push away as hard as he can too.

Doubt.

🥀🥀🥀

Donghyuck doesn't come back this evening.

Everyone in the office waits, eyes occasionally shifting to look at the dark corridor in hopes of seeing their friend but Donghyuck never comes.

Part of Renjun doubts he will come back home too.

He wonders what could possibly be so complicated and important that Donghyuck hasn't even called for him and Mark. But then again where Myungsoo is involved maybe it's not such a big surprise.

He opens the doors to his apartment fully expecting it to be empty but instead, he is greeted with darkness and the unmistakable sound of pen on paper.

"Donghyuck?" Renjun's voice echoes off the walls and he flinches at the panic in it.

"Injun," comes the answer and with the soft way the words roll off of Donghyuck's tongue Renjun finally allows himself to relax, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Another day with the murderer on the loose and then nowhere close to catching them.

Unless…

"What are you doing?" Renjun grips the door frame to his room and observes Donghyuck's figure which is leaning over his desk, his hand moving at fast speed noting something down. From so far away Renjun can't see the words clearly.

"I think I found it."

A breath catches in Renjun's throat.

"Found what?" he asks, voice shaking as it manages to escape his lips somehow.

"The lead," Donghyuck smiles up at him and it's bright, so bright. Donghyuck is brilliant at this moment and all the others but for a second all Renjun sees is red.

Red for all the people who lost their lives.

"What did Jeno tell you?" he demands an answer, fingers playing with the hem of his t-shirt nervously as he leans over Donghyuck's shoulder to look at the piece of paper laying on his desk.

It's full of numbers. Phone numbers.

"He told me that he didn't take his car the day I disappeared, even when going to search for me. Apparently, Jaemin knew too but no one on Soonyoung's team was allowed to speak to Jeno or Jaemin yet. We _were_ right about evidence being planted there," Donghyuck's voice raises and Renjun frowns down at the younger. All of this is information he has half expected half hoped for but it leaves them with nothing, still. "And before you get excited, no he did not remember who took it."

Renjun swallows hard.

"Where's the lead in that?" he asks, exhaustion creeping back into his bones and making speaking hard. "If we can't figure out who—"

Donghyuck shakes his head.

"As soon as I heard that I _knew_ there must be something pretty obvious there. Something none of us are seeing. So I came back here to think, the old good way, alone in the dark."

"You could have called," Renjun knows this isn't the right moment but part of him feels worried. Like maybe Donghyuck doesn't trust him after all.

"Anyway as I was saying I came back here and looked at it all from a different perspective," Donghyuck points to the piece of paper and smiles. "You know what does are, don't you? I've thought about what we could have possibly missed and then it hit me. From the start, this didn't seem like a case of someone's first attempt at this. It was too perfect, too clean. We choose to believe we would find earlier victims. Then, we did but there were still no clues. We choose to believe the killer might have been out of the city. We checked with others for unsolved cases but nothing came of it. Then Doyoung's case came and I got kidnapped and this made everyone believe Jeno to be guilty. See what I mean? We never went back to check any other possible theories at any point. The fact that we choose a path doesn't mean that it's correct."

Renjun thinks about everything Donghyuck said, the sentences slowly mixing in together to give him the answer he is looking for.

"They aren't an amateur, that much is clean with the way they made sure Jeno will be framed," Renjun feels his hands close into fists at his sides. "I'm not even sure if they are human with the way they treated you like a toy, a game to be played to reach their fic goal."

"And they almost succeeded in framing Jeno which means…" Renjun feels almost sick, sick at the possibilities Donghyuck's words uncovered.

"I'm thinking back to our calls with Seoul and other cities," Donghyuck's voice is almost completely choked. At first, Renjun thinks that the younger must be excited to finally crack the case, the finish line hopefully insight but then he realizes it's not the excitement that holds Donghyuck's words back but fear.

Pure fear radiating from his eyes.

Up until this point catching whoever did this was their goal. Unreachable, something they could work on.

But now, knowing that whoever they catch at the end of this last line it would be one of the people they call friends.

Renjun feels his pulse quicken.

"They said they don't have anything like this now," he tries to remember his calls with all the police departments across the country but the details are too blurred now.

" _Now_. We never asked them about solved cases."

From up close Renjun can see the way most of the numbers are crossed off already. Donghyuck must have spent hours dialing police stations, heart in his throat as he asked around for cases similar to theirs.

"No luck yet?"

"I'm left with Seoul," Donghyuck answers, and Renjun feels something shifts inside him.

Most of their friends at least trained there, Yangyang and Hendery even being transferred from one of Seoul's stations.

"Do you want me to call them?" his voice is barely a whisper, soft at the edges but Donghyuck's gaze is sharp.

The younger still looks scared, shaking hands gripping the phone tightly as he dials the number and waits for an answer. Most of Seoul's stations have a hotline so the chances of no one picking up are small.

Renjun holds his breath as the phone rings and rings, his own palms sweating as his heart races and when he thinks he can't possibly take another second of waiting, of not knowing—

The signal stops and there's another kind of noise at the other end of the line.

"Yes, I know we talked about it already but this time I'm asking about closed cases," words fall like waterfalls as Donghyuck tries to fill up the silence, to get everything out before both of them explode, too eager to wait. "Yes. Yes, I think so."

The voice from the other line is audible but it's impossible to tell apart the words so Renjun settles on reading Donghyuck's expression as he listens. With each passing second Donghyuck's eyes become more hollow and Renjun _knows_ they have finally found it even before the younger says anything.

"Who worked on that case?" at this point Donghyuck's voice shakes and it doesn't sound like him at all but the officer on the other end wouldn't know.

He wouldn't know anything.

He wouldn't know about Donghyuck's expression as his world splits in two and shatters.

Renjun wants to move, to help somehow but there's nothing to be done. He can't piece Donghyuck back into a perfect whole. There are too many pieces missing.

So instead he observes as he thanks the Seoul officer and his heart breaks too even though he doesn't know the answer yet.

"They had a case like ours. An officer framed for a streak of crimes, one of them involving his own family member," Donghyuck's voice is quiet now. "The main officer on the case—"

Renjun thinks his heart can't possibly break more.

But it turns out it can.

"It's Hendery."

The whole world tilts and explodes in colors but soon enough it's just one of them everywhere.

"That's—" Renjun sees red again. It's all over his vision, staining his hands, the carpet, the walls.

It's dripping from Donghyuck's fingers as the younger dials Mark's number to share what they have uncovered.

It's all over Renjun's vision when Mark's words stumble as he explains how Jaemin went out with Hendery that night. Hours ago.

Renjun sees red, red, red as he exchanges a look with Donghyuck.

"—Borderline feverous."

He doesn't know if he is talking about Hendery or about them.

🥀🥀🥀

Getting ready to head out reminds me so much of the way things happened after that call from Sicheng.

The most accurate word to describe it that somehow keeps coming back to Renjun is just: feverous.

He moves around like in a trance, his hands knowing what they need to gather from years of training while his mind runs in circles.

The only real difference between then and now is the presence at his side.

Donghyuck crumbles and then comes back together constantly, it's a never-ending circle as the detective in him battles the boy scared of the person who hurt him.

Renjun wishes he could help, stop the thought clouding his brilliant mind but there's not much he can do so he simply hands the younger his gun and tries to fake a smile.

"If we die today I—"

"Don't," Renjun stops him. He takes a step forward and Donghyuck has to step back, his back hitting against the wall, Renjun's hands trapping him. "Don't tell me you love me, not like that."

Donghyuck closes his eyes and a sad smile appears on his lips.

"Right," he says and there's more clarity in his dark eyes when he opens them again.

Renjun can't bear the thought of what Donghyuck wanted to say, to do because there's a hidden meaning behind the words.

There's a part of Donghyuck that doesn't believe they will get out of this alive.

Part of Renjun thinks so too.

🥀🥀🥀

"Are your guns full?" are the first words Mark greets them with.

They are barely above a whisper and if Renjun wasn't on high alert he probably wouldn't even catch them in the blowing wind outside Hendery's apartment complex.

"As full as one can be," Chenle answers from next to Renjun. The younger's voice is the most serious he has ever heard it and it sends a shiver down Renjun's spine.

Jisung nods yes from the other side where he stands with Mark and Donghyuck.

They should probably wait for back up to arrive but…

"Soonyoung says they won't be here for another half an hour," Yangyang stares down at his phone with frustration in his eyes.

"Jun said the same thing," Chenle adds in a heavy voice.

"Mingyu says he is out with Minghao today," Jisung's words are the last nail in the coffin, and Donghyuck swallows hard.

The look they exchange is easy to read.

Renjun knew what he has signed up for when he and Donghyuck had left his apartment and so he tries to make his voice as steady as possible.

"We have to go in. Maybe we could have waited if not for—"

He doesn't finish but everyone is aware of the way Jaemin hasn't picked up a single call or answered any of their texts. They tried to reach him, to make sure he was safe.

For all they know, Hendery might have already killed him. Or kidnapped like Donghyuck, left to riot with flowers all around him in a place they will never find.

"We are going in," Donghyuck says, voice full of authority, and all of a sudden it feels like they are on yet another regular mission. Not this. Renjun never wanted this. "If any of you want to stay here and wait for Soonyoung's team I'll understand."

The last words hang between them in the air for a minute and no one moves.

Renjun knows none of them will back away but he wouldn't blame them if they did.

"In this mission, I can't ensure your safety," Donghyuck presses on, knuckles white around his gun.

"Like you can ensure it during _any_ missions," Yangyang answers through gritted teeth and Chenle left out a sharp laugh.

They enter the building like this, Donghyuck first with Renjun and Mark just behind and the rest closing off their little group.

"Donghyuck, I'll go in first. Maybe I'll manage to get Jaemin without raising suspicion. You can take it from there," Mark's voice drops in volume with each step they make.

Renjun has never been to Hendery's flat. He doesn't know what to expect, doesn't know how many escape routes there are.

He throws Donghyuck a questing look.

"Too dangerous," the younger answers simply. "If we wouldn't want to draw his attention we would have to stay around the corner. It's too far and if anything happened—"

" _Donghyuck_ ," Mark presses. "I'll be fine."

" _No_. I'm the leader here and you _will_ listen."

Mark looks like he wants to agree more but his eyes tell a completely different story. Renjun knows Mark would never agree if it was Donghyuck who wanted to try his luck.

"On three," Donghyuck glances over his shoulder at them and Renjun nods shortly.

They split up and guard Donghyuck from both sides as he reaches out for the handle.

"One, two…"

Renjun takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a second.

"Three—"

A loud bang sounds on the other side of the door.

“Donghyuck?” Renjun asks in a wary voice, alarms going off loudly inside his head. Something is not right with the way his partner, his best friend looks at him like it’s a secret message that Renjun is unable to decode.

"Fast," is all Donghyuck says before he raises his gun and fires one shot, two shots at the door lock.

Mark doesn't waste time and in seconds the door swings open revealing a dark flat.

Renjun steps inside first. He no longer cares for the angry stare Donghyuck sends his way when he blocks his entrance.

Renjun is not about to give up Donghyuck to this psychopath on a silver plate. Not again.

"Come out!" he shouts into the silence, his voice sharp and harsh. If Mark has had any hope to carry on with their friendly plan it has been crushed by now. "Come out you coward!"

Mark's hand lands on his shoulder and squeezes before gently pushing him forward so that the rest can go in as well to inspect the scene.

Chenle goes first, Jisung trailing after his best friends. They are both too focused for any other emotions to appear on their faces and it makes Renjun relax a little.

The youngest of the team are probably their best shot right now considering how broken the rest of them are.

"Back me up," the urgency in Donghyuck's voice grows when there's another loud bang from the other room and Renjun puts all his worries behind as they make their way to the room in which Jisung and Chenle disappeared just a moment ago.

"There's no use," Chenle's voice is still steady but it's clean the younger is barely holding in his anger and Renjun has to stop in the entrance.

There he is.

And the walls around them are red.

Renjun isn't sure if the red is real or if it's only in his imagination or maybe Jaemin's scared gaze as a knife presses against his throat.

Or maybe it's Donghyuck's gaze that's red, a mixture of emotions unlike anything Renjun has seen before.

Donghyuck is brilliant, scared, broken, and whole at the same time.

He looks feverous.

"Let him go."

"Or what?" Hendery's voice is almost mocking, nothing like that of a friend Renjun thought he once knew. "Will you shoot me, detective Lee? Or will you scream for Renjun like you did when I took you?"

Wrong move.

A wicked smile blossoms on Donghyuck's lips.

"Maybe I should exchange our friend Jaemin for Renjun? I always liked him better so maybe if you ask nicely enough I'll be willing to trade. I do want to hear that scream of yours once more."

"Too bad," Renjun's voice sounds unfamiliar in his ears as he forces the words out. He would be lying if he said there isn't a part of him that takes pleasure in the fear present in Hendery's eyes. No matter what, if he kills Jaemin here or not, the older knows he has lost. He can even kill them all but the blood in his hands will never disappear. "You will never hear it again."

Now Hendery's gaze shifts from Donghyuck to him like he has just realized Renjun was a person you can talk to not just Donghyuck's favorite toy.

Hendery might have had a point.

Donghyuck is too good of a policeman, even now when put in this terrifying situation. He would never shoot.

But Renjun? He never claimed to be half as good.

"Donghyuck won't shoot you," he says and he can pinpoint the exact moment when Hendery realizes his mistake. "But I will."

And, true to his words, he fires.

🥀🥀🥀

"Today with us we have officer Lee Donghyuck and his team. They are the ones behind the recent arrest of the serial killer named 'Blooming murderer' by the press. Officer, how are you feeling? We have heard that one of your people was hurt during the capturing as was the culprit."

Renjun is not a fan of the spotlights.

Donghyuck doesn't bathe in the attention either, answering the questions as fast as he can.

Life falls back to normal between interviews and visits to the hospital where Jaemin recovers from his throat injuries. Well, normal isn't an option for them anymore.

But it gets as normal as it can get with the court case still ongoing.

"Renjun, where did you put the papers?" Donghyuck's breath tickles the skin behind Renjun's ear and he can almost _feel_ Mark rolling his eyes behind his back.

Today is a good day it seems. Donghyuck usually stays far away for Renjun to not be able to feel his warmth on his skin.

"What papers?" he asks and puts his coffee down and turns around to face his boyfriend.

"Today is the day I'm going to visit jail."

'Ah,' Renjun thinks and his heart sinks.

He has almost forgotten about the wish Myungsoo managed to grant. He still doesn't get _why_ Donghyuck wants to go but maybe it doesn't matter.

As long as it helps him heal it's fine.

"Let me grab them and a coat, I'm coming with you."

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow and so does Mark when Renjun passes by on his way to Myungsoo's room.

One paper is all it takes for them to face their biggest nightmare again.

Renjun thinks that no amount of deep breaths and fake smiles would be able to make Donghyuck ready for this meeting. Or maybe it's the other way around because as soon as they enter the visiting area.

It's like Donghyuck transforms into a completely different person. A wicked version of himself that the younger has probably pushed away for months now.

"We have _sworn_ to protect our people," Donghyuck spits out. "How could you do it?"

Renjun wants to both go to Donghyuck and to jump to Hendery. The things that flash through his mind aren't pretty, images of what he would do to the older if they were alone and if Donghyuck's words haven't called that last part of him that still knew good and bad even now.

Maybe Donghyuck's words aren't directed entirely at Hendery.

Renjun knows his morals have shifted dangerously in the last few months. If anyone from outside their team reevaluated him now, they would probably say he is no longer fit for the job.

He can't feel sorry for what he has done though if it all lead him here. To Hendery behind bars and Donghyuck in his arms, alive and well.

Some things, however, can't be rebuilt simply by sheer will. Well, not instantly at least.

The betray of someone who you've trusted leaves deep scars on all of them.

Renjun can see the way Chenle distances himself from Jisung and pushes Jeno away which makes the latter retrieve to his shell which he has built over his time in arrest. Jaemin spends more of his time alone and Yangyang crumbles each time any of them as much as come close.

Out of everyone, Mark seems to be taking it the best. It's kind of unfair to compare him to the others though, with the way the older relays on Donghyuck. It makes Renjun jealous sometimes how easy Donghyuck falls back to Mark as if nothing happened and yet...

And yet.

"How are we supposed to trust anyone now Renjun?" Donghyuck looks at him with so much vulnerability it makes Renjun's heart shiver, and because his heart has shattered one to many times before, this time it doesn't. Instead, it goes up in flames. "How am I supposed to trust _you_ now?"

Donghyuck is still clutching at his coat tightly and Renjun willes him to not let go as he lifts his own hands to cup his cheeks.

"I'm not asking you to trust me now," he says and tries to hold the younger's gaze for as long as he will let him. It's hard, Donghyuck's palms still somewhere on Renjun's body, he doesn't know where and the light in his boyfriend's eyes replaced with emptiness. At least there's no anger in him now. No more anger at himself for not predicting all of this. "I'm just asking you to not cross me off completely. Don't shut me down Donghyuck. That's all I ask for."

"I would never," Donghyuck closes his eyes and leans into Renjun's touch. "I'm sorry for pushing you away. I... do trust you, you know? Against my brain's better judgment."

That makes Renjun laugh with relief. It might be a long shot for Donghyuck to say that but he doesn't mind the words not being entirely true.

After all, trust is something he can earn back in time.

"It's fine," Renjun assures him in a whisper.

"About the other day..." Donghyuck's voice is a whisper now too, barely audible over the loud beat of Renjun's heart.

"I do love you."

The words are something Renjun has waited for. Maybe even for years, the emotions building up inside him through the years they have spent working side by side. It all comes to the surface now in one overwhelming wave that Renjun's cannot contain. He doesn't need to, doesn't want to.

"I was supposed to say it first," Renjun can feel tears pulling up in the corners of his eyes and he smiles. He knows it's pained and strained but he can't help all the emotions escaping him at once. The happiness that despite it all, Donghyuck is here under his fingers, the bitterness at how different they are now, and the sadness for all the people who had lost their lives for them to get this far. "I was supposed to say everything first."

Donghyuck smiles back at him, tears glazing over his eyes too.

"That's why you will never get tired of me. I bring on the unexpected."

At that, Renjun laughs. It's loud and bright, definitely brighter than most of the laughs and giggles he allowed himself since the capturing. It slips from his lips easily and Renjun finds out he doesn't feel guilty about it.

"I think we both have had enough of the unexpected for the rest of our lives," Renjun says, the smile dying on his lips as he sees the spark of joy disappear from Donghyuck's eyes. "But your kind of unexpected is always welcomed."

"Nice save, Injun," Donghyuck's voice doesn't sound down, it doesn't betray any of the emotions battling for dominance behind his eyes. "Of course I agree with you but some things just have to be unexpected to be exciting."

Renjun doesn't take his eyes off of Donghyuck as he moves closer, close enough so that their breathes mix and he can almost taste Donghyuck on his lips.

"I think things you expect can have a pretty big impact too," his voice isn't even audible at this point but Donghyuck can probably read it from his lips or Renjun's breath on his neck. "I think this has been a long time coming."

Renjun lets the silence stretch and he can feel Donghyuck's muscles tense under his fingertips as the younger holds his breath in anticipation.

Some people say there are moments in life worth waiting for. Fighting for even, in their case. Renjun doesn't know if all they have been through can be compared to a simple obstacle on their path but he would like to think that there will come a day when it all will be just terrible memories. Regardless of it all, _this_ is that moment for them.

Renjun can feel the words he has been holding in for so long travel up his throat and his lips tremble for a moment like they want to stop them from escaping as they have done so many times before. But this time he forces them out.

"I love you too," comes out choked with tears and emotions Renjun's didn't even know he held inside. It doesn't sound full of love at all, more of pain and exhaustion. "God, Donghyuck, I love you _so much_."

Maybe they will be okay.

🥀🥀🥀

It takes almost a year for the trial to finally end with a guilty verdict and a life sentence.

It takes even longer for the dust to settle on the case files buried deep inside Donghyuck's desk.

Maybe the dust will never settle fully, one of them occasionally pulling them out to look at pictures of the faces they have lost or to look at similarities to other cases.

It's probably something that will never be forgotten by any of them.

Especially Donghyuck.

It's almost exactly one year after the date Donghyuck has been kidnapped, the date lingering at the back of Renjun's mind despite his best attempts at pushing it away when Donghyuck brings flowers to the office.

"Do you know what they mean?" he asks Renjun, face strained and eyes dark beneath loose hair.

The flowers are pretty, colorful, and graceful. If Renjun had to guess they probably mean trouble, knowing the situation they are in.

"Did Hendery somehow send it from jail?" He asks cautiously and Donghyuck laughs while his fingers move over the delicate petals.

"No way," he nods to the flowers as if it was obvious already. If it was up to Renjun he would toss the damn plants out of the window but unfortunately, it's Donghyuck who is in charge.

"What do they mean then?" He finally gives in as always when it comes to Donghyuck and his best friend, his partner, his boyfriend smirks at him knowingly.

"No," he says and there is power in his voice that surprises Renjun. His words sound just as years ago, it's the same tone the younger has used before this whole mess has started. "They mean 'no'. I think that would be a pretty telling message to that sick bastard, right?"

Even now Donghyuck refuses to say Hendery's name.

But that's more than fine.

After all, it should be forgotten, erased from their memory. No one should remember the monsters, lost in their feverous momentum.

It's the heroes who deserve attention, no matter how broken they might be.

"I think," Renjun says and reaches out to touch the fragile petals. "You should send him a bouquet from me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> andddd thats it when it comes to renjun and hyucks story!! hope you liked the conclusion :D it's been A Ride for me ngl lmao
> 
> comments and kudos always make my day hehe~ come hit me up on twt @ sonuredhair

**Author's Note:**

> thats all for today! i have no idea when I'm gonna update this but hopefully soonish..i do have exams in June tho so like..be patient with me please.
> 
> comments and kudos make my day<3
> 
> come scream with me on twitter @ donghyuckos


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